We start with the release by China Post of a new set of Zodiac Stamps honoring the Year of Dragon -- to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, which begins on January 23rd.

A citizen shows her newly-bought stamps issued to mark the Year of Dragon in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 5, 2012. [Xinhua]

The much anticipated "Year of the Dragon stamp" went on sale on Thursday morning. It's the latest addition to the country's zodiac stamp series that's attracted much attention from collectors across the country. Our reporter Li Qiuyuan has more.

Time to release the Dragon. It's only 7:30am, but hundreds of people are already lining up at this Beijing post office. They've waited in the cold for hours, hoping to get their hands on a set of dragon stamps.

A Beijing resident said, "I've been here since 5 in the morning. I took the first bus to get here. Some members of my family will be born in the Year of Dragon, so I really hope to get some of these dragon stamps."

A Beijing resident said, "I came at 6am. I come here every year to buy Zodiac stamps, I love to collect them."

The annually released Zodiac Stamps are popular among Chinese collectors.

But there's even more interest in the Year of the Dragon stamps -- since dragons are deeply rooted in Chinese culture.

A citizen shows her newly-bought stamps issued to mark the Year of Dragon in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 5, 2012. [Xinhua]

Tian Yang of China Post said, "This year's dragon stamp is the 3rd set of its kind since China Post first issued Zodiac Stamps in 1980. The dragon stamp has received much attention from collectors, since Chinese often consider themselves as 'descendants of the dragon'. We've seen a huge increase in the number of buyers this year."

The design of 2012's dragon stamp derives from the patterns on "dragon robes" worn by Chinese emperors in the Qing Dynasty.

The bright colors are influenced by the famous colored glass in the Nine Dragons Wall in Beijing's Forbidden City.

CCTV's Li Qiuyuan said, "There's been quite an interesting debate on the design of these dragon stamps. Some people say that the dragon looks a little too intimidating and sinister, which goes against the traditional auspicious meaning of dragons in China. But some supporters say they like this design because it looks powerful and vigorous. What do you think?"

Experts say the design of the Year of Dragon stamp strikes a good balance between strength and beauty.

Zhao Shu, Beijing Research Inst. Culture and History, said, "Dragons are traditionally considered to symbolize auspicious powers in China. They are there to ward off evil spirits, avoid disasters and bless people. So we need a tough image to show its power and dignity. I think this design is quite good."

Despite the controversy over the design, the new dragon stamp is set to bring good fortune to some people in the country.

2012's dragon stamp has a face value of 120 cents each. And gift booklets are also available.

The zodiac stamps are issued in limited edition only -- so you're well advised to get them early!