An exhibit showcasing stamps with 12 Vietnamese zodiac signs is running in Ho Chi Minh City until Jan 21.

The exhibit, going on at the exhibition hall of Kien thuc Ngay nay Magazine, 16 Tran Quy Khoach, district 1, features the stamps which belong to the collection by Han Tan Quang, a veteran local stamp collector.

The exhibit is admission-free and is open to the public from 8.30 to 11am and from 2 to 4.30pm.

The first Tet stamps featuring 12 zodiac signs were published in 1962. The stamps featured Dong Ho Tet folk woodblocks titled “The sow and her piglets” and “The hen and her chick”.

A variation of the Chinese zodiac sign system, the Vietnamese system boasts 12 animals, the Rat, Buffalo, Tiger, Cat, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Chicken, Dog and Pig. Each animal is traditionally believed to act as the guardian for the year bearing its name. The cycle repeats every 12 years. The upcoming Tet, which begins on Jan 31, ushers in the Year of the Horse in the lunar calendar.