Skip to content
On November 27, 2019, the 74th United Nations General Assembly declared May 21st as "International Tea Day" and tasked the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to lead global celebrations, aiming to convey the economic, social, and cultural values of tea and promote sustainable agricultural development worldwide. To celebrate International Tea Day in 2023, the United Nations Postal Administration issued a stamp mini-sheet titled "International Tea Day" on May 21, 2023. The mini-sheet contains 10 stamps, 6 depicting tea leaves and 4 depicting tea utensils. Among the tea utensil stamps, two feature “Yixing” “Zisha” teapots, prominently placed in the center of the third row of the mini-sheet. One is the "Dongpo Ti Liang" made by the great potter “Fan Dasheng” in 1926 during the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China period, and the other is the "Wuxiang" created by “Fan Dasheng's” descendant and contemporary master potter “Fan Weiqun”. Together, these two stamps showcase the historical heritage of Chinese “Zisha” teapots. The stamp face value is 1.10 Swiss Francs, with an additional stamp featuring the emblem of the United Nations, designed by UNPA graphic designer Serge Barraud. This is also the first time the United Nations has issued stamps themed around tea.
In 2021, the United Nations listed the tea-making craft as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The “Yixing” “Zisha” pottery-making technique was among the first to be included in the national-level Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2006. Master of Arts and Crafts “Fan Weiqun” said at the issuance ceremony that “Yixing” “Zisha” teapots have always been known as "the best in the world of tea utensils" and are widely recognized as the most suitable tea utensils. The inclusion of “Yixing” “Zisha” tea utensils in the United Nations stamps reflects the UN's high praise and recognition for “Yixing” “Zisha”.
