China Post is to issue a set of four commemorative stamps entitled The 130th Anniversary of Comrade Mao Zedong’s Birth on December 26, 2023. The stamp designs are respectively named “Persevering in Resistance Against Japanese Aggression”, “Constructing the Ming Tombs Reservoir”, “Maintaining a Global Vision” and “Retracing Jinggang Mountains”. The denomination of the whole set is 4.80 yuan, and 7.8 million sets of the stamps and 980,000 sheets for layout 2 are planned to be circulated.

Digital painting techniques were used to create the visual effect of traditional painting, which made it possible for the stamp designs to revive the majestic image and great mettle of Comrade Mao Zedong and showcase his military brilliance foresighted demeanor. The stamps were designed by Ma Gang and Jin Jun under the guidance of Jin Shangyi, and printed with photogravure technology by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited.

This set of stamps will be available for six months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamps, China Post will release the digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of four special stamps entitled Integrated Development of the Yangtze River Delta on December 1, 2023. The designs of the stamps are respectively Integrated Development of Science and Innovation Industry, Coordinated Protection and Restoration of Environment, Shared Access to Public Services, and High-level Coordinated Opening-up. The denomination of this set of stamps is 4.8 yuan. The planned circulation is 7.198 million sets.

As one of the regions with the most dynamic economic development, the highest degree of openness and the strongest innovation capabilities in China, the Yangtze River Delta boasts strategic significance in the country’s modernization and further opening up. Promoting the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta region, boosting its innovation and competitiveness, and improving economic agglomeration, regional connectivity and policy coordination efficiency are of great significance for leading China’s high-quality development and building a modern economic system.

This set of stamps is designed in illustration style, the pictures of which are lively and stretching. The first stamp includes the graphic design of sci-tech elements such as the automatic production line with intelligent robotic arms, the Comprehensive Research Facility for Fusion Technology in Hefei, representative buildings of the G60 Science and Technology Innovation Corridor, artificial intelligence, information networks and cloud computing, reflecting the integrated development of science and innovation industry. The second one contains elements including Yuandang Lake and Qiandao Lake, the representative landscapes of the demonstration zone for integrated ecological and green development in the Yangtze River Delta region, and the equipment for organic waste treatment and recycling around Taihu Lake, indicating the coordinated efforts to protect and restore the environment. The third depicts the scene of accessing more government services via a single website in the Yangtze River Delta region, National Children's Regional Medical Center in Hefei, representative buildings of the International Campus of Zhejiang University in Haining, Hangzhou-Huangshan world-class natural ecological and cultural tourism corridor and other representative landscape elements, reflecting the shared access to basic public services. The fourth reveals the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai), Lin-gang Special Area of China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, ports, line graph of big data and other elements, showing the high-level coordinated opening-up.

The set of stamps is designed by Song Jian and printed with photogravure technology by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited.

The set of stamps will be available for a period of six months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamps, China Post will release their digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where viewers can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of five commemorative stamps entitled Innovations in Science and Technology (Series 4) on November 1, 2023, the designs of which feature the synthetic starch, the perennial rice, the Mars rover Zhurong, the Advanced Space-based Solar Observatory Kuafu-1 and the Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO). The denomination of the whole set is 6.6 yuan, and 7 million sets are planned to be issued.

Researchers of Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology of Chinese Academy of Sciences have made a significant breakthrough in the starch synthesis, a de novo route for artificial synthesis of starch from carbon dioxide without plant photosynthesis for the first time in the world. Perennial rice is an innovation in rice breeding. Without reseeding, this new rice variety can be harvested twice a year or for several years after overwintering, which can greatly reduce labor input, maintain relatively stable yields, and achieve light and simplified rice production. The Mars rover Zhurong is the world’s first Mars rover with an active suspension system. It can not only withstand the complex environment of Mars, but also conduct scientific exploration, thus deepening people’s knowledge of key scientific issues such as the evolution of Mars and its water/ice distribution. Kuafu-1 is an advanced solar exploration satellite independently proposed by Chinese solar physicists. It has achieved a leapfrog breakthrough in the space-based solar exploration satellite and opened up a new era of comprehensive space-based solar observation. The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO), also independently proposed, designed and constructed by Chinese scientists, is the new generation gamma ray telescopes and cosmic ray detectors with the unprecedented sensitivity. LHAASO is dedicated to decoding the origin of cosmic rays and hence more mysteries of the universe.

Designed by Du Yukai, this set of stamps follows the same characteristics of the previous three series: these stamps are also created in modern illustration methods, with bright and lively colors to present fresh and natural visuals. The stamps are printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with offset printing technology, and special colorless fluorescent ink is applied to display richer information of the stamps under ultraviolet light.

This set of stamps will be available for six months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamps, China Post will release the digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of two commemorative stamps entitled 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 on September 23, 2023. The stamp designs are respectively named The Emblem and The Mascots. The denomination of the whole set is 2.40 yuan, and 7.83 million sets of the stamps and 885,000 sheets for layout 2 are planned to be circulated.

The 19th Asian Games is scheduled to be held from September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou. The Games include 40 sports, 61 disciplines and 481 events in four categories of competitive, ball, adversary and water sports, into which esports and breaking are officially introduced for the first time. The emblem “Surging Tides” is composed of six elements: a Chinese fan, the Qiantang River, a tidal bore, a running track, the Wi-Fi signal icon and the glowing red sun of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA). The mascots, named Chenchen, Congcong and Lianlian respectively, are a group of robots proclaiming the host city’s profound heritage and contemporary vibrancy. The combination — Memories of Jiangnan — derives its name from a poem by Bai Juyi. This great Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet wrote, “When I recall Jiangnan, Hangzhou brings back most of my memories.” The name itself speaks volumes about Hangzhou’s heritage, scenic splendor and drive for innovation.

The set of stamps is designed in the form of a se-tenant pair. The main design of each stamp features respectively the emblem and the mascots of the Hangzhou Asian Games, below which are the core graphics and color schemes of the Games, thus integrating Chinese color culture and the distinctive characteristics of the host city Hangzhou, and making the overall design concise and bright and the theme prominent.

The stamps are designed by Shao Lichen and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with photogravure and offset lithography overprinting and offset printing technologies.

This set of stamps will be available for six months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamps, China Post will release the digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of one commemorative stamp entitled The 10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative on September 7, whose design bears the same name as the stamp. The denomination of the whole set is 1.2 yuan. The planned circulation is 7.05 million sets.

When visiting Central Asia and Southeast Asia in September and October of 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the initiative of jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. The year 2023 marks the tenth anniversary of the Belt and Road initiative. From laying the groundwork to building pillars and frameworks, to delivering results on the ground, and to achieving sustainable progress, the Belt and Road Initiative has become a platform for international cooperation that is open, inclusive, mutually beneficial and promotes win-win cooperation and a global public good widely welcomed by the international community. Over the past decade, the Belt and Road Initiative has played an important role in deepening policy communication among countries, promoting global connectivity, reshaping patterns of global trade, and driving world economic growth.

The main body of the design is the number “10” which is composed of flowers, doves, and elements representing infrastructure cooperation and connectivity such as highway and railway transport vehicles, freighters and cranes. Such a design embodies the profound connotation of what President Xi Jinping stated—“A single flower does not make spring, while one hundred flowers in full blossom bring spring to the garden”, and implies that China’s initiatives and propositions have flourished over the past decade and boosted the universal values of peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom. Combined with the elements of “golden bridge on Silk Road”, it further highlights the philosophy of greater connectivity and mutually beneficial cooperation.

This set of stamps is designed by Dong Qi and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with photogravure technology. In addition, China Post also joins hands with Hongkong Post and Macao Post and Telecommunications to print and issue a stamp booklet of the same theme. The designer of the stamp booklet is Shao Xin.

The stamp will be available for six months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamp, China Post will release its digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of 3 special stamps entitled Taiji on August 8, 2023. The designs of the stamps are named “quanshu” (fist martial arts), “qixie” (taiji performed with weapons) and “tuishou” (hand-pushing skills performed with a counterpart) respectively. The face value of this set of stamps is 3.60 yuan. The planned circulation is 7.1 million sets.

Taiji (also called taijiquan) is one of the most distinctive traditional Chinese sports. It is a traditional Chinese boxing that features internal and external cultivation and mixes slow and flexible movements with quick and hard attacks. It is formed by taking the dialectical concepts of taiji as well as yin and yang in traditional Chinese philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism as the core idea, integrating various functions such as nurturing good temperament, maintaining physical fitness and practicing martial arts, and combining theories of the Book of Changes, the meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine and ancient Chinese “daoyin practice” (the art of promoting internal circulation) and “tuna practice” (the art of exhaling turbid air and inhaling clean air). Taiji has an immense audience and is passed on from generation to generation.

The stamps adopt the art form of fine brushwork figure painting, and take black, white and gray as the main colors. The background of the stamps is presented with hollow strokes effect in Chinese ink and wash painting to reflect such philosophies of taiji as placidity, inclusiveness and simplicity. The first stamp depicts an old man with white hair and a long beard, who is calmly performing the single whip movement, reflecting the traditional style of taiji and its role in prolonging people’s lives. Its background is presented with uninhibited brushstrokes and textures of Chinese ink and wash painting, producing an intangible charm along with movements of the old man. The second stamp depicts a bright and brave woman who is doing a sword dance, with the shadow-like air current looming in the background, presenting the free-flowing characteristics of taiji sword dance. On the third stamp, a young man and a young woman are performing tuishou. There they are, a man and a woman, in black and white, symbolizing the coupling of yin and yang, and combination of reality and fantasy in taiji.

This set of stamps is designed by Wang Yaping and Zhang Fan, printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with photogravure technology.

The stamps will be available for six months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamp, China Post will release their digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of two commemorative stamps entitled The 31st FISU Summer World University Games Chengdu 2021 on July 28, 2023. The two stamp designs are respectively named The Emblem and The Mascot. The denomination of the whole set is 2.40 yuan. The planned circulation is 6,795,000 sets.

College students are the most active and vital force in society, and the dream chasers of the times. Every college student has a dream in his or her heart. The FISU World University Games is a grand event for college students around the world to compete and communicate, and also a stage for them to pursue their dreams. The 31st Summer Universiade will be held in Chengdu, Sichuan province from July 28 to August 8, 2023. It will witness global student-athletes challenging their limits and realizing their dreams. The main design of the emblem is based on the letter “U” from the English word “university”, with a combination of two typical Chinese elements — the Sun and Immortal Birds and Phoenix. The “U” is divided into four gradient color blocks of vermilion, bright yellow, emerald green, and lake blue, echoing the International University Sports Federation (FISU) logo. The mascot is a giant panda named “Rongbao”, who is in a running posture, holding the torch with flames shaped like “31”. The ears, eyes and tail of Rongbao also resemble the shape of flames.

The stamps are designed by Shen Jiahong, with the emblem and the mascot of the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games as the main body of the pictures. The background and local patterns are the standard auxiliary graphics of the Chengdu 2021 FISU Games — the Sun and Immortal Birds, decorated with bright and jumping standard colors of the Games. The gutter strips in the middle of the stamp sheets highlight the slogan of the Games “Chengdu Makes Dreams Come True”, and the overall picture is fashionable and bright. The stamps are printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with photogravure technology.

These stamps will be available for six months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamps, China Post will release their digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of three special stamps and a souvenir sheet entitled Modern Bridge Construction. The designs of the three stamps are respectively named Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, Oujiang Beikou Bridge and the Third Pingnan Bridge. The design of the souvenir sheet is named Beipan River Bridge. The denomination of the whole set of stamps is 9.60 yuan. The planned circulation is 7.35 million sets of stamps and 5.85 million souvenir sheets.

The Shanghai-Suzhou-Nantong Yangtze River Bridge, independently designed and built by China, is the world’s first cable-stayed bridge with a main span of more than 1,000 meters that can accommodate both cars and trains. The bridge boasts five world records, which makes it a milestone in the history of railway bridge construction in China and even in the world. The Oujiang Beikou Bridge is the world’s first three-tower four-span double-decked steel-truss suspension bridge, holding three world records. The Third Pingnan Bridge is a concrete-filled steel tubular arch bridge with the largest span among all the bridges opened to traffic in the world. During its construction, 20 research projects were established and eventually 58 inventions were patented. The Beipan River Bridge connecting Yunnan and Guizhou is a twin-tower four-lane steel-truss cable-stayed bridge. Soaring 565 meters (equivalent to a 200-story skyscraper) over Beipan River, it’s currently the world’s highest bridge with the second largest span of its kind. 

The designers of the stamps adopt the art form of watercolor painting, combine dry and wet techniques, and draw upon different perspectives such as bird’s eye, ground-level and eye-level view to show the exterior characteristics of the bridges and their imposing momentum of flying over rivers and mountains, as well as the beautiful ecological environment and unique natural landscapes of their surrounding areas.

This set of stamps is designed by Guo Zhenshan and Yang Rui, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited through offset technology for the stamps and photogravure for the souvenir sheet.

These stamps will be available for 6 months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamps, China Post will release the digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a special stamp entitled The National Art Museum of China on May 23, 2023, one piece in a set. The denomination of the stamp is 1.20 yuan, and the planned circulation is 6.6 million sets.

The National Art Museum of China (hereinafter referred to as NAMOC) is located at No 1 Wusi Street, Beijing. Starting to be built in 1958, NAMOC, with its title board inscribed by the late Chairman Mao Zedong, was formally open to the public in 1963. Now, it is a national cultural landmark. NAMOC integrates exhibition, collection, research, public education, international exchange, restoration of artworks, and cultural and creative industry. It houses more than 130,000 pieces of various collections and has held more than 5,500 influential art exhibitions. Many important works that have been recorded in the annals of the Chinese art history were first exhibited here and then became known to the public. In the new era, NAMOC is shouldering the cultural responsibilities of promoting outstanding traditional culture, collecting all kinds of fine arts, strengthening international and domestic exchanges, facilitating contemporary artistic creation, building the peak of fine arts and benefiting public cultural services. On the Chinese path to modernization, NAMOC is making new contributions to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

The design of the stamp takes the main building of NAMOC as the major element. With its picture elegant and its theme prominent, the stamp shows rich national color and traditional oriental charm of the museum. The stamp is designed by Yu Qiuyan, engraved by Yang Zhiying and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with offset intaglio technology.

This set of stamp will be available for 6 months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamp, China Post will release its digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamp via its AR function.

China Post is to issue a set of two commemorative stamps under the title of The 50th Anniversary of China-Spain Diplomatic Relations jointly with its counterpart in Spain, Correos. The designs of the stamps are named Hengshui Lake and Laguna de Fuente Piedra respectively. The denomination of the whole set is 2.40 yuan and the planned circulation is 6.9 million sets.

Spain is an ancient civilization in Europe, located in Iberian Peninsula in southwestern Europe, with the capital city of Madrid. As early as more than 2,000 years ago, the ancient land Silk Road linked the ancient city of Chang’an (present-day Xi’an, Shaanxi) with Tarragona in Spain, and Chinese and Spanish civilizations intertwined and attracted each other. The People’s Republic of China and the Kingdom of Spain established diplomatic relations on March 9, 1973. Over the past half century, China and Spain have adhered to mutual respect and active exchanges and dialogue, and carried out mutually beneficial cooperation. On November 2005, the two countries established comprehensive strategic partnership.

The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Spain. With the photographs of Hengshui Lake in China and Laguna de Fuente Piedra in Spain as the main body, the stamps present the natural beauty and ecological characteristics of the lakes in the two countries. Correos will use the same design elements to issue stamps on the subject of the 50th anniversary of China-Spain diplomatic relations.

The stamps are designed by Ma Lihang and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with photogravure technology.

The set of stamps will be available for 6 months at designated postal outlets nationwide, online mall of China Philately (https://jiyou.11185.cn), the mobile app of China Post, the WeChat Mall for philatelic products in the official WeChat account and the WeChat mini program of China Post Group. To present more information about the stamps, China Post will release the digital contents through the WeChat mini program “Encyclopedia of China Philately and Stamps”, where philatelists can learn more about the stamps via its AR function.