China Issues Year Of The Dragon Stamp

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LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Our last word in business is: roar of disapproval. According to the traditional Chinese calendar, the Year of the Rabbit gives way to the Year of the Dragon later this month. This week, the Chinese government started selling new stamps to commemorate the Year of the Dragon. After a year of mailing off posters with cute bunny pictures, some Chinese got a shock when they saw the new stamps. I was almost sacred to death, one blogger wrote, after seeing a stamp with a dragon starring at her. Another called it too ferocious.

The stamp's designer said he based his graphic on a motif from the 19th century when the Qing Dynasty ruled. He said it's a symbol of China's confidence. Postal officials have no plans to change it.

And that's the business news.

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