This piece belongs to the long-running Chinese Folk Fairy Tales commemorative series, which the People's Bank of China has issued annually since 1981, drawing from classical literature and oral tradition rather than official mythology. The 2002 installment draws on stories that existed centuries before any standardized written form — tales transmitted through regional performance traditions, woodblock print chapbooks, and temple storytelling. That folk provenance is precisely why the series has attracted sustained collector interest across both domestic and export markets since its inception.
This piece belongs to the long-running Chinese Folk Fairy Tales commemorative series, which the People's Bank of China has issued annually since 1981, drawing from classical literature and oral tradition rather than official mythology. The 2002 installment draws on stories that existed centuries before any standardized written form — tales transmitted through regional performance traditions, woodblock print chapbooks, and temple storytelling. That folk provenance is precisely why the series has attracted sustained collector interest across both domestic and export markets since its inception.