Edwin Lee (2nd L), mayor of San Francisco applauds with others after unveiling the "Dragon Stamp", stamp featuring the Chinese Lunar New Year of the Dragon, at the launching ceremony in San Francisco, the United States, on Jan. 23, 2012. The Dragon Stamp issued on Monday by the US Postal Service to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year.[Photo/Agencies]

HOUSTON - Year of the Dragon Forever Stamp, issued on Monday by the US postal Service to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, was welcomed by the public in the Houston area, Texas.

"The dragon stamps go fast," said an employee at a post office in the city of Sugar Land, Texas. The office opened at 9 a.m. on Monday, and at about 10 am, only two sheets of the dragon stamp were left, the employee said.    

"We only have limited supply. This stamp is really very popular, because the Lunar New Year is celebrated in many countries, including China and (South) Korea," she said, adding that the design of this year's dragon stamp is appealing.

A local resident surnamed Wen said that he bought five sheets of dragon stamp. He would keep one sheet and send the rest of them to relatives and friends in China. "I really love the design incorporating paper-cut and Chinese calligraphy, very typical of the Chinese tradition," he said.

The stamp is the fifth of twelve stamps in the U.S. Postal Service's second Celebrating Lunar New Year series, which began in 2008 with the Year of the Rat.

This year's dragon stamp depicts a colorful dragon as seen in traditional dragon dancing for welcoming of the Lunar New Year. The design also incorporates elements from the previous series of Lunar New Year stamps, using intricate paper-cut design of a dragon and the Chinese character-drawn in grass-style calligraphy by Lau Bun-for "Dragon."

On back of the stamp was a brief introduction of the Lunar New Year and the Year of Dragon: millions of people around the world will celebrate the Year of the Dragon beginning January 23, 2012. The dragon, a respected creature traditionally considered magical or divine, is the fifth of twelve animals associated with the Chinese lunar calender.  

A celebration was held on Monday by the US Postal Service to commemorate the first day of issue of the Lunar New Year.