Date of Issue: 13 September 2021
Designer: Lok Hei
Issue Quantity﹕250000
Stamps per sheet: 16
Paper: Paper with Security Fibres
Size of Stamp: 40 x 30 mm
Size of SS: 138 x 90 mm (Stamp size: 40 x 40 mm)
Perforation Stamp: 13 x 13¼ (With elliptical perforations)
Perforation Stamp on SS: 12 x 11¾ (With elliptical perforations)
Printing: Offset Lithography with Microprinting
Printer: Joh. Enschedé Security Print, The Netherlands
Wushu – Chinese Martial Arts and Health
Martial arts emerged from life, and eventually evolved in the process of picking wild fruits, hunting, and resisting fierce beasts, and had the purpose of “strengthening the body in times of peace and defending the country in times of chaos” during the cold weapon era. We are fortunate to be in a peaceful time with scientific and technological advancement, and “Wushu – Chinese Martial Arts and Health” is one of the good options for individuals to attain physical and mental health.
Southern traditional martial arts cover a wide range of fields, including Chinese boxing, equipment, Qigong, dragon dance, lion dance, and bone-setting.
MOP 2.50 - Constant Training
As the proverb says, “flowing water does not rot, nor a door-hinge rust”, meaning that flowing water does not stink, and a moving hinge does not rot, which is a metaphor for only with daily workout can vitality endure and flourish. The same applies to “Wushu – Chinese Martial Arts and Health”. Constant training in martial arts is a healthy practice and helps improve the flexibility of muscles and joints, facilitate the circulation of Qi and blood to refresh the day.
MOP 4.00 - Qigong - Yi Jin Jing
“Yi Jin Jing” is an exercise that focuses on traditional Chinese medicine and the theory of Yin and Yang and the five elements. It stimulates the meridians and internal organs through the 12 posture moving exercises, so that the meridians are unimpeded and the Qi and blood are harmonized to achieve the aim of strengthening the body; it is characterized by stretching the tendons and pulling the bones, combining rigidity and flexibility, integrating motion and rest, and channeling the Qi, which is a set of effective traditional exercises for health, fitness, disease prevention and intellectual growth.
MOP 4.50 - Lion Dance
Southern lion dance was originally named “auspicious lion” for its auspicious meaning; people were stripped of their means of subsistence during the late Qing Dynasty by the invasion of foreign forces and the spread of war. In this period of time, lion dance was widespread in the school of martial arts, so the mixture of lion dance and martial arts skills was further developed. The sound “auspicious” and “sleep” pronounced the same in Cantonese, so it was renamed by chivalrous Chinese and patriots “awake lion”, which was an overt reminder that the country should be self-improved and encouraged the nation to develop and reinforce.
The lion dance can promote physical fitness, exercise the will, develop positive character, and reinforce the teamwork spirit.
MOP 6.00 - Choi Lei Fat Martial Arts
Choi Lei Fat Martial Arts was inscribed on the National List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2008 and one of the items on the Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Macao in 2020.
Choi Lei Fat Martial Arts was founded in 1836 by Chan Heung, a native of King Mui, Xinhui District, Guangdong province. At an early age, Chan Heung learned Fat Martial Art from his uncle, Chan Yuen Hu, and took Lei Iao San as his teacher when he grew up. Later, he learnt another martial art from the Shaolin monk Choi Fu. He studied Chinese boxing styles and combined the techniques of the three teachers to create a new style of Chinese boxing, which was called “Choi Lei Fat Martial Arts”, to honor the teachings of his teachers.
MOP 14.00 - Martial Virtue (Souvenir Sheet)
In order to attain the higher level of “Wushu – Chinese Martial Arts and Health”, martial arts practitioners must continuously enhance overall consistency and enforce the criterion of “martial virtue ” on practitioners, so that excellent cultural accomplishments of Chinese martial arts can be fully inherited and promoted, and the norm of “advocating martial arts and virtue, strengthening one’s body with martial arts, nurturing one’s character with virtue, and pursuing both professional excellence and moral integrity” can be achieved.
Author: Un Oi Mou President of the Association of Martial Arts and Physical Education of Macao Workers Translation: NextVector Consultants Ltd.
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