The pattern of “Ascending Loong” depicts a soaring loong, majestic and confident, exuding an imposing aura. The pattern of “Auspicious Loong” features two loongs guarding a jade, symbolizing harmony and dignity, and bringing auspiciousness and peace to all corners of the world. At the Shougang Cultural Tourism Booth of the 8th China Science Fiction Convention in 2024, the “5G Steel” zodiac stamps for the Year of the Loong made their dazzling debut. This cultural and creative product, a fusion of traditional culture and steel art from Shougang, captivated visitors, leaving them in awe and admiration.

Known as “5G Steel”, Shougang’s “Cicada Wing Steel”, a representative of its new productive forces, derives its name from its thinness that resembles a cicada wing. Boasting over 20 national patents, it is primarily used in 5G base station signal receivers, signal transmission filters, and integrated circuit boards. Through the meticulous tracking of over 300 processes and thousands of quality control points in production organization, process adjustment, mode selection, and equipment precision, Shougang’s wide-width “5G Steel” has achieved world-leading rolling standards.

In its Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Creation of Outstanding Brands, the Party Committee of Shougang Group clearly stated, “Through cultural and creative empowerment, we will make Shougang’s manufacturing more vibrant and imbue its products with warmth, capturing public attention and resonating with the people.” With a series of cultural and creative initiatives, “5G Steel” has become a star product of the Shougang Group. The release of this cultural and creative product has propelled “5G Steel” to new heights. By incorporating the “5G Steel” model, the zodiac stamps, rich in traditional Chinese cultural characteristics, have added a unique dimension. Shougang’s “5G Steel” is poised to become a dedicated material for the cultural and creative products of zodiac stamp reproduction with a 12-year cycle.

Since their inception in 1840, stamps have primarily been made of paper, with artists designing intricate patterns for their faces. Many countries have attempted to reproduce paper stamps using metals such as gold and silver or animal leather, but none have been able to reproduce the original artistic effect. This time, by using “5G Steel” as the material and imitating paper printing techniques, the stamp designs not only replicate the artistic effect of the artists’ original works but also shimmer with a metallic brilliance akin to starlight that cannot be achieved on paper, showcasing a unique artistic charm.

The Loong is a spiritual symbol of the Chinese nation and an integral part of the Chinese people’s ideologies, behaviors, and values. The zodiac sign is the first gift bestowed upon every Chinese descendant as a lifelong mark that cannot be chosen or replaced. With the official release of the “5G Steel” zodiac stamp reproduction cultural and creative product nationwide on April 25th, “5G Steel” and zodiac stamps have converged in the Year of the Loong, endowing Chinese zodiac culture and stamps with the power of human civilization showcased by Shougang’s high-tech materials.

Zodiac stamps have always been favorites among philatelists. The cultural and creative product launched for the Year of the Loong in 2024 is “novel, unusual, and special”. Coupled with the unique cultural connotations and significance of the Year of the Loong for Chinese people, this product is inherently highly valuable. It is not only a precious collectible but also an exquisite gift representing the glory of Shougang. The “5G Steel” used in the stamps for the Year of the Loong is destined to capture public attention and resonate with the people, becoming a vivid and effective practice for the Shougang Group to further promote the construction of outstanding brands.