Chinese Folklore - Liu Sanjie

On August 23,2012,China National Philatelic Corporation issued a set of four special stamps titled "Chinese Folklore - Liu Sanjie" with a total face value of 4.80 yuan.

According to the local tale, Liu San Jie was born in a village along the Liujiang River of Guangxi in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). She was not only beautiful but also good at singing folk songs. At the age of 17, Liu San Jie fell in love with a handsome young man who was also a good folk singer. The two swore never separate in their lives. The peaceful happiness was, however, broken by a hooligan in the village who had been for a long time attracted by Liu’s beauty. This evil man decided to take Liu San Jie by force. He got his chance on a moonlight night when Liu and her lover were sitting on a big rock by the river side to enjoy the beauty of the moon. Suddenly, a gang of hooligans surrounded them. Liu San Jie and her lover had no way to escape, with no hesitation, the couple jumped into the roaring Liujiang River, hand in hand.

Nowadays, local people gather annually along the riverside of the Liujiang River, organizing a folk-song competition to mourn Liu San Jie.

The four stamps depict The Immortal Singer at the Zhuang Village, The Battle of Wits Through Antiphonal Singing, The Silk Ball Witnessing the Love between Liu Sanjie and Her Beloved A'niu, and Rising to Heaven on a Carp.

The story of Liu Sanjie who sang for freedom and fought for dignity reflects the Zhuang people’s pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty in their long song-loving tradition.