The Chinese zodiac, carrying the collective memory, emotional attachment, and auspicious vision of the nation, is a typical folk culture that reflects people's yearning for the best and most beautiful life. Each zodiac animal embodies unique character and spirit, becoming a cultural symbol for people to express blessings and convey emotions. I have been engaged in zodiac design for a long time, which is also due to the profound emotional connection involved. Many of my family members and I are born in the Year of the Horse, which gives me a special emotional attachment to horses. Especially the puppet horse left by my grandmother has always accompanied me, and this natural sense of closeness has given me a deep love for the zodiac horse. More importantly, zodiac stamps and commemorative coins are truly "national business cards", carrying the responsibility of promoting excellent traditional culture, awakening the common memory of the Chinese people, and showcasing the spirit of the times in every inch. Being able to participate as a designer, revitalizing ancient cultural symbols in contemporary society, and resonating emotionally with the public, especially young people, is a highly valuable and inspiring thing for me. Zodiac design is both a "proposition essay" and a "free creation". It may seem to depict a specific animal, but in reality, it captures, amplifies, and conveys its inner "god" through precise "form" - the unique spiritual character endowed by national culture. The fun lies in the fact that there is a universe between every inch. Whether it's a 36mm square stamp, a small gold coin with a diameter of only 18mm, or a large gold coin with a diameter of 18cm, they all work in extremely limited space. How to accurately convey cultural connotations and auspicious meanings while creating a vivid aesthetic atmosphere under strict form constraints, achieving the goal of "seeing the big in the small, seeing the world in every inch", greatly tests the designer's ability to summarize, refine, and compose. Every careful consideration of straight lines and the selection of complex patterns is like a delicate micro carving, with endless joy. Having been engaged in zodiac cultural and creative design for many years, my core design principles can be summarized as "traditional roots, contemporary soul", and my practical path is "writing the spirit with form and vivid charm". Form is the carrier, and God is the soul. Horses have a long history in Chinese culture, and it is said that Fuxi created the Eight Trigrams based on the "River Map" carried by the dragon and horse; Dragon and horse represent the combination of yin and yang in the twelve zodiac animals, with dragon representing heaven and yang, and horse representing earth and yin; Horse patterns are also commonly used in folk culture to express auspicious meanings, such as "immediately enfeoffed as a marquis" (a combination of horses, bees, and monkeys), "immediately in peace" (a combination of horses and vases), etc. To achieve success on horseback, taking the lead, embodying the spirit of the dragon and the horse, and sharing the joy of the horse... In the hearts of the Chinese people, horses are not only the embodiment of strength and speed, but also a symbol of success, opportunity, loyalty, and virtue. Their spirit has always been embodied in the noble aspirations of the Chinese nation for progress, trustworthiness, and enlightened governance. Only by grasping such 'spirit' can we truly grasp the 'image' of the horse. And 'vivid charm' is a higher level requirement, which is related to the rhythm of life and the creation of artistic conception of the entire work. Whether it is the form and momentum of a single horse, the relationship between horses, or the combination of patterns and colors, they all serve to create a smooth and vibrant "aura", allowing every inch of the picture to breathe and have a continuous sense of rhythm. This core determines the depth of design ideas and aesthetic height. It is essential to analyze previous works of the same kind when designing cultural and creative works related to zodiac animals. For example, the first three rounds of horse tickets are mostly static "immediately", but this design boldly chooses the "galloping horse" shape, which represents strength, freedom, and unrestrained freedom, aiming to express a vigorous and enterprising positive spirit. On the basis of in-depth research on the classic forms of horses in various dynasties of art and respect for the accuracy of animal basic forms, designers have extracted the most representative spiritual lines and body features, and combined them with modern composition rules for recombination and strengthening, forming a basic form that is both rooted in tradition and novel and powerful. The 2026 China Post Bingwu Year of the Horse special stamps "Chiyue Hongtu" and "Wanjun Zhenfu" blend the majestic and agile style of horses from the Han and Tang dynasties. In the 2026 China Bingwu (Horse) Year Precious Metal Commemorative Coin Series of the People's Bank of China, the galloping horse shape on the 10 kilogram round refined gold commemorative coin is derived from the Tang Dynasty relief stone carving - the Six Horses of Zhaoling; The small foal on the 3-gram gold coin is transformed into a rounded and cartoonish shape, showcasing its cute, agile, and obedient characteristics. In addition to the main design, auspicious patterns and symbolism are also important elements of zodiac cultural and creative design. For example, the patterns on the background of the 2026 China Post Year of the Horse zodiac stamps symbolize reunion, the auspicious scroll grass pattern on the horse symbolizes good luck, and the peony pattern on the saddle symbolizes wealth and prosperity, containing beautiful blessings. The six galloping horses in the 10 kilogram gold coin carry the auspicious meaning of "six hundred and six great victories", and the surrounding auspicious clouds symbolize vigorous fortune and positive energy. The small white horse in the 3-gram gold coin cleverly blends with multiple auspicious patterns. These patterns undertake the narrative function of enhancing momentum, guiding vision, and enriching rhythm, becoming a part of the "flow of charm". Color is an important tool for conveying meaning, and designers need to pay attention to combining traditional color aesthetics with modern color perception. The first stamp 'Jumping in the Grand Plan' highlights the red horse on a white background, creating a pure and strong visual focus and emotional impact; The second "Wan Jun Zhen Fu" uses the "Hermes Orange" background color to unify the picture, with black, white, and brown horses forming a strong contrast with the background color and creating a harmonious rhythm, jointly rendering a warm, modern, and joyful atmosphere. Color here is both emotion and structure. The creation of a potential field in composition is essential, especially when dealing with multiple sets of works (such as two stamps, large and small gold coins), attention should be paid to the unity of "cross screen narrative" and "potential". The two stamps depict the horses running in the same direction, creating a unified visual foundation and forward momentum; The imagery dialogue between 'leading the way' and 'galloping horses' forms a dialogue between individuals and groups. In a single frame, a cohesive and open atmosphere is formed through the flow of lines, the gathering and dispersion of elements, and the management of blank spaces, allowing the viewer's emotions to be immersed and their gaze to flow accordingly. The secondary design of craftsmanship is also very important, as it can showcase the vivid beauty at the microscopic level. Stamp craftsmanship includes paper and embossed printing. Picking up the magnifying glass and carefully examining the details of the stamp, one can discover subtle variations in the thickness of lines, the use of double lines, and relief lines on a small scale. Even as small as a horse's eyes, they are not just two ink dots on a small stamp, but are endowed with a bright and lively luster and full spirituality through precise printing technology, giving static horses instant vitality and emotion. The craftsmanship of precious metals is even more icing on the cake. Through various techniques such as high relief, bead spraying, multi-level sandblasting, mirror finishing, brightening, and polishing, delicate muscle lines and three-dimensional auspicious cloud patterns can be depicted. On a 3-gram gold coin, the body of the little white horse presents a "jade like feeling", unexpectedly fitting the auspicious culture of "gold inlaid with jade". The auspicious clouds made by the light to scale color technique also give the entire work a dreamy light and shadow effect. In design practice, what I pursue is not simply retro or realistic, nor pure abstraction or "cuteness", but rather the hope that my works have a clear and distinguishable Eastern charm and cultural roots, as well as the vitality, tension, and emotional warmth of this era. Just like the cultural and creative design of the Year of the Horse zodiac this time, whether it is the combination of galloping momentum and decorative lines in stamps, or the fusion of realistic images and auspicious meanings in commemorative coins, they are all trying to construct a visual experience that is both familiar and surprising - making viewers feel that this is a "horse" from the depths of our culture, but at the same time, it is a contemporary "horse" that is vigorous, enterprising, approachable and perceptible. In short, the core of zodiac cultural and creative design lies in using a sincere heart to feel the warmth of culture and a pair of skillful hands to weave the rhythm of the times. It is a creation that connects the past and the future, communicates visual and spiritual aspects. (New Society)