Nalta Issues Chinese New Year Stamps - 2026

Malta: Commemorative Stamp – Celebrating Chinese Lunar Year of the Horse – Issued! (12.2.2026)

According to MaltaPost, the Year of the Horse stamp features an elegant design that blends elements of traditional Chinese silk luo with artistic concepts inspired by Maltese lace-making. The stamp will be available at major post offices across Malta and through online sales channels.

Speaking at the ceremony, Chinese Ambassador to Malta Zhang Zuo said that the stamp, carrying messages of friendship and good wishes, would become a warm and positive chapter in the history of cultural exchanges between China and Malta.

Malta’s Ambassador to China John Busuttil, who addressed the event via video link, said that the zodiac stamp project serves as a vivid example of bilateral friendship and offers the Maltese public greater insight into China’s rich cultural heritage.

This file photo shows ancient stone fortresses in Yulin, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. (Photo by cultural heritage and archaeology team of the city of Yulin/Xinhua)

China: Survey Team Discovers 573 Ancient Stone Fortresses in North-West! (13.11.2025)

The survey revealed that these settlements spanned from about 2800 BC in the late Yangshao period to around 1000 BC in the Shang and Zhou (1046-221 BC) dynasties.

Mostly distributed along riverbanks, the stone fortresses were surrounded by numerous ordinary settlements without defensive stone walls, indicating a clear clustered relationship, said Ma Mingzhi, head of the team.

The development of these stone fortresses shows a clear evolution from small to large in scale, from simple to complex in layout, and from rudimentary to mature in construction techniques — with social hierarchy becoming increasingly distinct.

The survey provides crucial information for a comprehensive understanding of the origin, development, spread and evolution of prehistoric settlements in northern China, Ma added.