Scott No: 1095-98
Serial number: N29-32
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: July 20, 1972
Denomination: 32 fen
Designer: Yang Baizi, Wu Jiankun
Size of stamps: 52*31mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 40(4*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Numbered Stamps 29-32 "Ships" numbered stamps were issued on July 10, 1972. The set consists of 4 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Yang Baizi and Wu Jiankun, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 52 mm × 31 mm, perforation gauge 11.5, 40 stamps per sheet.

Theme of the Set

New China's shipbuilding industry relied on self-reliance and gradually acquired the capacity to build 10,000-ton ocean-going vessels. This set selects four self-built ships of different functions—an ocean-going freighter, an oil tanker, a passenger-cargo ship, and a dredger—displaying the construction achievements of China's shipbuilding industry in the 1970s and embodying the important role of water transport in material transport, foreign trade shipping, and waterway dredging.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

"Fenglei" Ocean-Going Freighter

The main subject of the design is the 12,600-ton ocean-going freighter "Fenglei," built by the Shanghai Shipyard in 1970. With rosy clouds filling the sky and the red sun newly risen, the great ship cleaves through the waves; it is one of China's early self-built large ocean-going cargo vessels, undertaking the ocean transport of foreign trade materials.

"Daqing 30" Oil Tanker

The design shows the 15,000-ton oil tanker "Daqing 30," built by the Dalian Hongqi Shipyard in 1971, with the hull sailing on the blue sea. The tanker is specially used for crude oil transport, serving domestic oil storage, transport, and water transport allocation, and is water transport equipment supporting the petroleum industry.

"Long March" Ocean-Going Passenger-Cargo Ship

The design shows the "Long March" ocean-going passenger-cargo ship built by the Hudong Shipyard, with a white hull and colored flags flying on the ship. It combines passenger and cargo functions and was a large ocean-going passenger-cargo vessel of China at the time, facilitating both personnel travel and the transport of materials on the same ship.

"Xianfeng" Dredger

The design shows the 10,400-ton large self-propelled trailing suction hopper dredger "Xianfeng," built by the Jiangnan Shipyard in 1971, sailing on a sea rippling with muddy waves. It is used for port and waterway dredging operations, safeguarding the smooth flow of inland river and offshore waterways.

Artistic Design Features

The set uses the sea as its base background, and the four stamps use different background colors—rosy clouds, emerald sea, clear sky, and warm yellow—to distinguish the ship types. The ship structures are realistic and clear, with clean, crisp lines. The four stamps correspond in sequence to cargo transport, oil transport, passenger-cargo dual use, and waterway engineering, with clear division of ship types. It is a classic set on the industrial transportation theme among the numbered stamps.