Wood or stone gates, known as paifang in Mandarin, were originally used to separate subdivisions in Chinese cities. Eventually, thesegates lost that role and their doors, but remainedas monuments. In Canada today, these gates are often the most visible representation of Chinatown in our cities, symbolic of cooperation between various levels of Canadian and Chinese governments, businesses, and citizens. In this series, Canada Post highlights eight gates of Chinatown across the country.

Celebrate a rich heritage with this gorgeous limited edition collector's set! Order today!

• EXCLUSIVE TO THIS SET! A numbered and imperforated pane of 8 stamps!
• A regular pane of 8 stamps, die cut in the shape of early Chinese coins, complete with centre hole.
• A 200-year-old Qing Dynasty coin and a 1,000-year-old Song Dynasty coin, like the ancient coins embedded in many of the gates.
• A 16-page full colour booklet with a history of the origins of these gates and a description ofeach Canadian gate in English, French and Chinese.
• A certificate of authenticity.
• A red leather-like folder traditionally embossed with a detailed image of a well-known gate in China.

The domestic-rate PERMANENT™ stamps in this collector's set are part of Canada Post's new series dedicated to gates of Chinatown.

• Victoria's Gate of Harmonious Interest, built in 1981, stands in the heart of Canada's first Chinatown.The gate blends traditional and symbolic elements and features hand-carved stone lions from Victoria's sister city, Suzhou. One pillar commemorates Chinese Canadians who fought and died in World War II.
• Vancouver's Millennium Gate, built in 2002, was inspired by the Inner City Gates of 19th and 20thcentury Beijing. It combines Eastern and Western designs to represent the past and future of the community.
• The Chinatown Gate in Edmonton benefited from the expertise of Chinese architects and craftsmanshipfrom the sister city of Harbin. Built in 1987, the gate features traditional Chinese motifs, colours, decorative tiles and ornate lighting.
• Founded in 1909, Winnipeg's Chinatownis one of Canada's older Chinese communities.The gate, built in 1987, is a pedestrian overpass that connects and complements the Dynasty and Mandarin buildings.
• Located at the entrance to the Mississauga Chinese Centre, this city's timber gate was constructed solely with traditional wooden studs. Cooperation between China and Canada is demonstrated in the government support and construction expertise that made this gate possible.
• Toronto's Zhong Hua Men Archway, standing at Gerrard East and Hamilton Streets in Toronto's Chinatown East, was built thanks to many Canadian and Chinese partners. The gate honours Chinese Canadian settlers, particularly those who laboured on the transcontinental railway.
• Built in 2010, the Ottawa Chinatown Gateway, featuring nine roofs, is a royal Chinese arch that can only be built in capital cities. The gate has good-luck symbols embedded within, including five Chinese coins, one of which is at least 1,000 years old!
• Montréal's Chinatown actually has four gates—North, South, East and West. The North and South gates span St. Laurent Boulevard, while the smaller East and West gates mark pedestrian walkways. The North Gate on the stamp was built in1999.
• For this series of stamps, 8 illustrators across the country took to their communities to create watercolour paintings of the gates. Stamp designer Hélène L'Heureux of Interaction/design then used these renderings to create unique stamps that work together as a set.
• The artists highlighted the most important angle of the gate for their community, which gives each stamp a truly local feel.

Order today!