1997-2011 1st - 4th set of the classical novel of China "Monkey King"(Journey To The West) series Stamps. Formosa(Taiwan), Rep of China.
The photo is only an example.
Mint & never hinged(mnh).
1997 1st set,
4 stamps are "The Palm of Buddha,." "The Pilgrimage of Tang Monk," "The Flaming Mountain" and "The Cobweb Cave".
The popularity of the "Journey To The West" makes its characters well-known to most Chinese. The novel, composed of 10O chapters, is divided into 3 major sections, the first dealing with the birth and growth of Sun Wu-kung, the second, with Buddha´s motivation of imparting the scriptures, and the third, with the westward pilgrimage. The story is presented in episode form. each with climaxes coming one after another, expressing unparalleled wit and thought-provoking humor. "Palm of Buddha," depicts the consequences in the wake of Sun´s insolent behavior in the heavenly palace, "The pilgrimage of T´ang Monk" depicts the procession on the way to the West for Buddhist scriptures, Both "The Flaming Mountain" and "The Cobweb Cave" depict the insidious hazards and tremendous difficulties during the journey to the West.
2005 2nd set,
1. Stone Monkey: Sun Wu-kong was originally a rock at the summit of Flowers and Fruit Mountain. Since the rock had been receiving the essences of Heaven and Earth as well as the sun and the moon, it became magically pregnant and gave birth to a stone monkey. After he found the Cave of the Water Curtain, he invited other monkeys to come live in this Cave and was thus made the Handsome Monkey King.
2. Buddhist Baby in the River: On the way to his new post in Jiangjhou, Chen Guang-ruei, Syuan Zang’s father on the way to his new post in Jiangjhou, was killed. His pregnant wife Wun-jiao was captured by bandits. After the bandits took her to Jiangjhou, she gave birth to a son. Fearing the bandits would slay her son, she used her inner garment to wrap the baby and tied it to a plank, which she placed into the river with the hope that the baby might miraculously be rescued. The plank floated downstream until it got to Jinshan Temple, where its abbot, Master Faming, saved the baby. The abbot named him “River Float,” and when he grew up, he assumed the name Monk Syuan Zang.
3. Making a Pass at Chang E: One day at a peach banquet given by the Queen of Heaven, Pigsy got a bit drunk and made a pass at Chang E, the Goddess of the Moon. For this, the Jade Emperor had him thrashed and banished him to the world below. On his way to his next incarnation, he was born a pig-like creature. Enlightened by the Bodhisattva Kuan-yin, he became a disciple of Syuan Zang and escorted him to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures. The Bodhisattva tonsured him and named him Jhu Wu-neng.
4. Taming the Monster of the River of Flowing Sands: When Syuan Zang and his disciples reached the River of Flowing Sands, a creature with red hair and sharp fangs emerged from the water and tried to snatch Syuan Zang. Pigsy, who was a good swimmer, fought the creature. On Bodhisattva Kuan-yin’s orders, Huei-an, or Prince Moksha, came to the rescue. Enlightened by the Bodhisattva, the monster became a disciple of Syuan Zang and escorted him to the West to seek Buddhist scriptures. He was given the name Sha Wu-jing.
2010 3rd set,
1. Complete Enlightenment (NT$ 5): The monkey king of Mt. Huaguo in the Water Curtain Cave, desiring immortality, made off to the Three Star Cave to study under the Buddhist Patriarch Subodhi, who gave him the name Sun Wukong, and from whom he learned secrets of magic. Later, because Sun would recklessly show off his magic, Subodhi renounced
him as a student. Furthermore, Subodhi gave him a pointer: “Whence one comes, one returns.”
2. Sun Wukong Wreaks Havoc in Heaven (NT$5): The Jade Emperor conveyed on Sun Wukong the title “Great Sage Equal of Heaven,” and sent him off to administer the garden of Queen Mother of the West’s peaches of immortality. Sun stole and ate some peaches, pills of immortality and wine prepared for Heaven’s Peach Festival. The Jade Emperor dispatched his forces to capture him and the monkey was imprisoned in Mt. Wuhang by Tathagata.
3. Dreaming of Beheading the Jing River Dragon King (NT$12): The Jing River Dragon King disobeyed the Jade Emperor’s directive to create rain. Consequently, the emperor sent Wei Zheng to behead the Dragon King, and the Dragon King appeared in Emperor Tang Taizong’s dream to ask for help. To divert Wei Zheng’s attention, Emperor Tang Taizong invited him to his palace to discuss affairs of state and then play chess. During the game Wei Zheng dozed off, at which time his spirit left his body to behead the dragon.
4. Stealing the Ginseng Fruits (NT$25): The Ginseng fruit was a great treasure of Longevity Mountain. After Sun Wukong and Pigsy were scolded for secretly eating Ginseng fruits, Sun Wukong destroyed the orchard in a fit of pique. Eventually the dew drops of the Goddess of Mercy saved the Ginseng fruit trees.
2011 4th set,
1. “Swindling Treasures” (NT$5): Golden Horn and Silver Horn of the Lotus Cave dispatched two little demons with the Golden Purple Gourd and the White Jade Vase in their hands to capture Sun Wukong. Sun first transformed himself into an old Daoist priest and conjured up a large purple-gold gourd. He convinced the little demons that the gourd could hold the sky and tricked them into swapping it for their treasures.
2. “Red Boy” (NT$5): Red Boy snatched the monk, taking him off to the Fire Cloud Cave . Sun went to the Goddess of Mercy of the South Sea for help. She tamed Red Boy with five gold rings that bound his head, hands and legs and made him serve as her page Shancai Boy.
3. “Crossing the River on Turtle’s Back” (NT$12): Encountering a gold fish monster at the Tongtian River, Sun went to the Goddess of Mercy in the South Sea for help. After the monster was captured, a big white turtle surfaced to greet the monk and his disciples when they wanted to cross the river. It turned out that the Residence of the River Turtle, where the gold fish monster lived, originally belonged to the turtle. To show gratitude, the turtle carried them across the river.
4. “Achieving Nirvana” (NT$25): After their return, the monk and his disciples presented Emperor Taizong with scriptures and then went before rulai, Tathagata, at Vulture Peak . Tathagata conferred the title of Meritorious and Virtuous Buddha of Zhantan upon the Tang monk, Victorious Fighting Buddha upon the monkey Sun Wukong, Cleanser of the Altars upon the Pigsy, Golden Bodied Arhat upon Sha Wujing, and Naga of the Eight Sections of Heaven upon the horse. All five achieved nirvana.
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