The stamp for celebrating the upcoming Chinese Year of the Monkey was issued on Jan 5, 2016. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Island of Jersey

The island of Jersey in the English Channel, an autonomous dependency of the British crown, is among the first to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Year of the Monkey, with the release of a stamp on Jan 5. It was designed by Beijing illustrator Wang Huming.

The rich, red and gold illustrations by Wang, the deputy chief designer of the Postage Stamp Printing Bureau of China Post, were created in Beijing and printed in France.

The design of the stamp shows the monkey holding a peach in gold colors against a red background. While the peach is a symbol of long life in Chinese culture, red is considered the luckiest color and is widely used during festivals.