The State Postal Bureau of China will publish a set of stamps in commemoration of the 200th birth anniversary of Danish fairy-tale writer Hans Christian Andersen.

The stamps, which are self-adhesive, will premiere in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, on June 1, International Children's Day, according to Zhang Bin, an expert with the postal bureau of Wuhan.

A complete set will have five stamps, including four 80-fen stamps and one 60-fen stamp. Also in circulation will be a miniature sheet, with a face value of 5 yuan (US$ 0.6), a booklet with a price tag of 10 yuan (US$ 1.2), as well as a full sheet with a price of 30.4 yuan (US$ 3.6).

Hans Christian Andersen, born in Denmark in 1805, was a poor shoemaker's son. His high reputation today rests on his fairy tales, which were written between 1835 and 1872. Since his stories were introduced to China in 1913, his Ugly Duckling,  Emperor's New Clothes and the Match Girl  have become very popular among Chinese. Several of his stories have even been selected into textbooks in Chinese primary and middle schools.

Apart from the stamp issue, other cultural performances have also been organized to mark the bicentennial of the Danish writer's birth across China.

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2005)