China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation was awarded for its 20 yuan commemorative banknote, issued to celebrate the 2024 Year of the Dragon. Issued in December 2023, the note was printed on polymer .

The obverse of the banknote showcases an image of the dragon, inspired from an ascending dragon bas-relief on the Nine-Dragon Wall – a renowned historical monument in Beijing. The design also incorporates influences from traditional Chinese glazed tile craftsmanship, featuring patterns of the rising sun and auspicious clouds. The Chinese dragon depicted on the banknote is adorned with a vibrant array of colours, mirroring the traditional Chinese glazed tile firing technique.

A holographic colour shift LiveColor@ security stripe and transparent window below the central motif depict the Chinese character 福 (fu, meaning good fortune) and floral elements. The stripe displays dynamic features of red, gold and turquoise alternately changing when the note is tilted.

The reverse of the banknote features a scene of children performing a dragon dance to welcome the spring, inspired by the Chinese Lunar New Year dance tradition and the traditional Chinese painting theme of ‘Bai Zi He Chun’ (Hundred Children Celebrating Spring). They perform against a backdrop of a Siheyuan (or Beijing courtyard), depicting the folk custom of performing dragon dances to pray for favourable weather and a bountiful harvest.

All elements of the new note – including the design, polymer substate,  plates, special stripe and the print itself  – were undertaken  by CBPM. Around 100 million of the banknotes were made available for circulation, obtainable via online reservations and offline exchanges.