Chinese And Far Eastern Mythologies

Please share here stamps show the beauty of Chinese mythology as well as other Far Eastern mythologies like Japanese, Korean, Khmer, Lao, Vietnamese, Thai etc.

Chinese Creation Myths
The legend of Pan Gu and Nu Wa:

In the beginning chaos dominated the universe. This chaos coalesced into a cosmic egg for about 18,000 years. Within it, the perfectly opposed principles of Yin and Yang became balanced and Pan Gu emerged from the egg. Pan Gu separated Yin from Yang, creating the Earth and the Sky. To keep them separated; Pan Gu stood between them and pushed up the Sky.

Pan Gu creates the world:


After that, Pan Gu was laid to rest. His breath became the wind; the eyes the sun and the moon; his body became the mountains; his blood formed rivers; his muscles the fertile lands; his facial hair the stars; his fur the forests; his bones the minerals; his bone marrows became diamonds; his sweat fell as rain; and the fleas on his fur carried by the wind became the fish and animals.

Pan Gu creates the animals:


Nu Wa, the Goddess then used the mud of the water bed to form the shape of humans. These humans were very smart since they were individually crafted. Nu Wa then became bored of individually making every human so she started putting a rope in the water bed and letting the drops of mud that fell from it become new humans. These new humans became the poor common people.

Nu Wa creates mankind:

Nu Wa fixes the sky:

In South East Asian mythologies, Kinnari is a chimera of lower part as a bird and the upper part as a winged female human being enables her to fly between the human and the celestial worlds. Kinnari is a symbol of feminine, beauty, grace and accomplishment renowned for her dance, song and poetry.

Kingdom of Laos, Designed by Ky Phungchaleun and engraved by Claude Jumelet - 1972:

Kingdom of Cambodia - 1953:

The Eight Immortals - Thailand, 2011

The Eight Immortals are a group of legendary Xian ("immortals; transcendent; saints") in Chinese mythology. Each Immortal's power can be transferred to a power tool that can give life or destroy evil. Together, these eight tools are called "Covert Eight Immortals". They are revered by the Taoists, and are also a popular element in the secular Chinese culture.

Immortal Woman He
Health Improvement

Royal Uncle Cao
Actors Patron

Iron Crutch Li
Poor Protector

Lan Cai He
Beggars Helper

Lu Dongbin
The Teacher of Tao

Han Xiang
Philosopher and Flutists Protector

Elder Zhang Gou
Long Life Bringer

Zhongli Quan
The Reviver

Thanh Giong - a national hero of Vietnam

Thanh Giong (Saint Giong), also known as Xung Thien Than Vuong (holy king of the sky) is a mythical folk hero of Vietnam's history and one of The Four Immortals. According to the legend, Giong was a boy who magically grew in size to be a giant hero and rode on an iron horse leading the Van Lang kingdom to victory against northern invaders (Han Chinese). Thus, he is considered the first anti-invasion hero of the Vietnamese.

Here is a nice set issued by Vietnam on July 1, 1989 shows scenes from the legend of Thanh Giong:

In the small town, there was a poor, hardworking couple who wished to bear a child. One day, the wife found a big foot printed on the farm, and magically became pregnant. She gave birth to a son named Giong. At three years of age, he was unable to talk, smile, or walk.

Due to the attacks by the An (Yin), the king sent out messengers to call his subjects to arms. Giong unexpectedly gained the ability to talk and ask his mother to see one of the messenger. He requested the king to arm him. the villagers fed Giong and he grew instantly into a magnificent man.

Simultaneously, the king's blacksmiths worked hard to forge Giong a set of iron armour, an iron sword, as well as whipping rods and an iron horse. Dressed in his new armour, he rode out on the iron horse and defeated the An invaders. After defeating the An (Shang or Yin Dynasty, China), Giong and his horse ascended to Heaven.

The tale of the four harmonious friends is a part of Buddhist mythology and it is very popular in Bhutan, Tibet and Mongolia. This story is about four friends, an elephant, a monkey, a rabbit and a bird. In the beginning, they were not friends and argued about who had the right to a fruit tree, whose delicious fruit was enjoyed by all of them. The four friends wondered what to do to get the fruit they all loved. They wanted to help each other so they became friends. They made a tower by climbing on each other's backs; first the elephant, then the monkey, the rabbit, and finally the bird. Together they reached the fruit and shared it between them. This story emphasis the important of friendship and cooperation in the life of the community.

Here is a great set issued by Mongolia on December 20, 1984 shows the story of the four harmonious friends:






(continue in next post):

Here is the rest of the stamps:

Mythical Chinese inventors and their innovations - PR of China, August 6, 2019. Here is the first part:

Suiren Producing Fire by Drilling in Wood:
Suiren is credited as a culture hero who introduce humans to the production of fire and its use for cooking

Fuxi's Drawing the Trigrams:
In Chinese mythology, Fuxi is seen as mankind's first male ancestor, a cultural hero, and one of the most benevolent gods in Ancient China. Fuxi is credited with creating several innovations that benefited humanity like the invention of the writing system, fishing, and the domestication of animals.

Shennong Tastes Hundreds of Species of Herbs:
Shennong, also known as the Emperor of the Five Grains, was a legendary ruler of China and cultural hero. He has taught the ancient Chinese not only their practices of agriculture, but also the use of herbal drugs since he has tasted hundreds of herbs to test their medical value. The most well-known work attributed to Shennong is the Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic.

Mythical Chinese inventors and their innovations - PR of China, August 6, 2019. Here is the second part:

Leizu and the Origins of Chinese Silk:
Leizu is a legendary figure in Chinese history credited with the discovery of silk and the invention of the silk loom. While she was having tea in the imperial gardens, a cocoon fell into her tea and unraveled. She noticed that the cocoon was actually made from a long thread that was both strong and soft.
Leizu then discovered how to combine the silk fibers into a thread. She also invented the silk loom that combined the threads into a soft cloth. Soon Leizu had a forest of mulberry trees for the silkworms to feed on and taught the rest of China how to make silk.

Cangjie Creating Chinese Characters:
Cangjie is a legendary figure in China, claimed to be an official historian of the Yellow Emperor and the inventor of Chinese characters.

Yu the Great Taming the Waters:
Yu the Great was a legendary ruler in ancient China who was famed for his introduction of flood control. He personally travelled the entire country with a select group of aides to study geography, measure elevation, and mark down river channels. He worked alongside the common people to dredge the riverbeds, which opened up river courses and allowed floodwaters to drain into the ocean. He also built a system of canals so the waters could irrigate the farmers' fields.

Chinese mythology - goddess Guanyin (Kun Iam)

Guanyin is the goddess of mercy, and a bodhisattva associated with compassion. The name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "Perceiving the Sounds (or Cries) of the World". Some Buddhists believe that when one of their adherents departs from this world, they are placed by Guanyin in the heart of a lotus, and then sent to the western pure land of Sukh#257;vat#299;.

Guanyin is called in Cantonese Kun Iam and in Japan - Kannon. Here is a set and SS issued by Macau in 1995 depicting goddess Kun Iam:




Many hands symbolizing mercy and compassion in Buddhism:

Lao Mythology - sculptures of Lao mythology characters, exhibited in Theudea Park near Vientiane - Kingdom of Laos 1974:

Phra Sratsvady (Sarasweti) – The goddess of great wisdom, regarded as Phra Phrom's (Brahma) wife. She has four arms symbolizing mind, intellect, alertness and ego. With her four hands she is holding musical instrument, palm leaves manuscript, Rose flower symbolizing spiritualism and pot of sacred water.

Phra Indra – god of storm and wars. One of the powerful gods of the Mythical gods pantheon. He carries weapons, which he uses to slay his enemies and revive those who were killed in battle. He usually rides on Erawan, the three-headed elephant which became the emblem of the Kingdom of Laos.

Phra Phrom (Brahma) – One of world creators and god of mercy. He has four faces to help people from any direction. He holds symbolic instruments: disc as weapon against evil, scepter as protection of laws, water pot for creation of life, spoon as sacrificial tool, book as getting wisdom and arc as weapon against demons. He rides on Phoenix.

Chinese Mythology Stamps - Fu Lu Shou – Deities of Good Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity.

Fu Lu Shou refers to the concept of Good Fortune (Fu), Prosperity (Lu), and Longevity (Shou). This Taoist concept is thought to date back to the Ming Dynasty when the Fu Star, Lu Star and Shou Star were considered to be personified deities of these attributes respectively. The term is commonly used in Chinese culture to denote the three attributes of a good life.

Thailand issued in 2010 a set of three stamps and SS depict the deities:

Fu star - The Fu Star is associated with Yang Cheng, a governor of Daozhou. He risked his life by writing a memorial to the emperor to save the people from suffering. After his death, he came to be considered the personification of good fortune.

Lu star - The Lu star is believed to be Zhang Xian who lived during the Later Shu dynasty. The word Lu specifically refers to the salary of a government official. As such, the Lu star is the star of prosperity, rank, and influence.

Shou star - The Shou star is the star of the South Pole in Chinese astronomy, and is believed to control the life spans of mortals. According to legend, he was carried in his mother's womb for ten years before being born, and was already an old man when delivered.

god Caishen

Caishen is the god of wealth worshipped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He is often pictured riding a black tiger and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and iron into gold.

Legend says that every lunar New Year, Caishen descends from heaven to inspect his followers. Many families worship him in the early morning, by offering incense and invite the god into their homes. Chinese people will eat dumplings on this day, as they are thought to resemble ancient ingots of precious metal. People say that after being offered sacrifices, Caishen leaves for heaven on the second day of the lunar New Year.

Bountiful and Belligerent Caishen, issued by Thailand on January 23, 2012 to celebrate the Chinese New Year:

Chinese Creation Myths - PR China, 1987:

Pan Gu creating the world:

Nu Wa creating mankind:

Yi shooting down Nine Suns:

Chang Ei flying to the moon:

Kua Fu chasing the sun:

Jing Wei filling the sea:

Chinese gods, issued by Macau on April 30, 1996:

Tou Tei, known as Tudigong ("Lord of the Soil and the Ground"), is a Chinese tutelary deity of a natural locality in Chinese folk religion and Taoism. Many Tou Tei worshippers supplicate with the intention of gaining wealth or maintaining their physical health. He is also traditionally worshipped before the burial of deceased persons to thank him for using his land to return their bodies to the earth:

Choi San ("God of Wealth") is the Chinese god of prosperity worshiped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. Choi San's name is often invoked during the Chinese New Year celebrations. He is often depicted riding a black tiger and holding a golden rod. He may also be depicted with an iron tool capable of turning stone and iron into gold:

Chou Kuan is the Kitchen god in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and Taoism. He is the most important of a plethora of Chinese domestic gods that protect the hearth and family. It is believed that on the twenty third day of the twelfth lunar month, just before Chinese New Year he returns to Heaven to report the activities of every household over the past year to the Jade Emperor (Yu Huang). The Jade Emperor, emperor of the heavens, either rewards or punishes a family based on Zao Jun's yearly report:

The Legend of Rahu – The Origin of the Eclipse

During the churning of the milk ocean, the gods received the immortalization nectar from Monini. Svarbhanu the demon sneaked between Surya the sun and Chandra the moon, and received nectar. Both, when realized this fraud, convinced Vishnu to cut Svarbhanu into two pieces. The upper part of Svarbhanu became Rahu, an immortal dragon head that swallows occasionally the sun or the moon as revenge causing eclipse.

Laos issued three different stamps depict Rahu:

Rahu image based on a wall painting in Patuxai gate, Vientiane, Laos. Designer: Ky Phungchaleun, Engraver: Claude Jumelet - 1971:

"Space in Retrospect". Designer: Marc Leguay, Engraver: J. Larriviere - 1973:

Rahu sculpture in Buddha Park of Xieng Khouane, Vientiane, Laos - 2006:


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