The China Cultural Center in Fiji and Post Fiji jointly launched the Year of the Tiger stamps on Tuesday in celebration of the Chinese Lunar New Year.

The stamps, designed by a team from Luxseven Art Museum in Qingdao, China, depict four tigers, namely the Fiji bula tiger (bula being the Fijian phrase of hello/welcome), Fiji rugby tiger, Fiji postal tiger and Fiji tourism tiger.

The Fijian tiger designed on the cover envelope wears a Fijian Bula shirt and holds a Fijian kava bowl in both hands (kava being the traditional national drink of Fiji). The design elements highlight the natural scenery of Fiji: the sea, traditional Fijian sailboats, and coconut trees.

Speaking at the launching ceremony in the China Cultural Center in Fiji, Wang Xuguang, counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Fiji, said that in the Chinese culture, tiger symbolizes bravery, strength, courage, and ambition.

He believed that combined with Fiji's unique scenery, plants, traditional costumes, and intangible cultural heritage, the tigers will bring people peace, unity and resilience.

The cultural exchange and cooperation between China and Fiji has been flourishing in recent years and deepened the mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples, he said, adding that with the joint efforts of both sides, they could expect more fruitful cultural exchanges in the years to come, which will bring the two peoples even closer.

For her part, Han Xiaoyan, director of the China Cultural Center in Fiji, said that the Year of the Tiger stamp is the seventh Zodiac stamp to be issued by the China Cultural Center in Fiji together with Post Fiji. It will help promote the cultural exchange and cooperation between China and Fiji.

Meanwhile, Anirudha Bansod, CEO of Post Fiji, said as longstanding business partners over the past years, Post Fiji and the China Cultural Center in Fiji have worked together to issue the Chinese Zodiac stamps since 2016, which is a true testimony of friendship between the two countries.