Collectors quick to buy snake stamp

Qiu Wei shows off his snake stamps.

Li Zhuoxiang and Momo Pan

A special stamp for the Year of the Snake went on sale on January 5, attracting many collectors to line up overnight to get it as early as possible.

At the gate of Nanxiang Post Office, a long queue had been formed by 5:30am, one hour before sales began.

Local Qiu Wei was the first person in Nanxiang to get the stamp.

The stamp’s design was based on the book “In Search of the God.”

According to the book, the snake has a pearl in its mouth and its tail turns into two strains of lucidum grass, representing good fortune. The body of the snake features a peach blossom for spring, lotus for summer, chrysanthemum for autumn and plum blossom for winter, symbolizing safety for the four seasons.

The stamp has a face value of 1.2 yuan (19 US cents).