Scott No: -
Serial number: R22
Values in set: 5
Date of issue: September 1, 1981
Denomination: 45 fen
Designer: Chen Xiaocun, Jiang Weijie
Size of stamps: 36*31mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 100(10*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

R22 "Scenery of the Motherland Ordinary Stamps (Photogravure)" ordinary stamps were issued in two batches: the first three on September 1, 1981, and the last two on September 30, 1982. The set consists of 5 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Chen Xiaocong and Jiang Weijie, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. (1)(2)(4)(5) measure 26 mm × 31 mm, (3) measures 31 mm × 26 mm, perforation gauge 11.5, 100 stamps per sheet.

Theme of the Set

This is a classic scenery ordinary stamp set of New China. It selects five representative natural landscapes in China, echoing the theme of the engraved Pu 21 "Scenery of the Motherland," and uses photogravure printing, making the colors brighter and softer. Ordinary stamps are mainly used for daily postal communications; using beautiful mountains and rivers as images displays the vast territory and diverse scenery of the motherland, balancing the practical postal function with publicity for the nation's landscapes.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Huangguoshu Waterfall

The main subject is the great Huangguoshu Waterfall in Guizhou, with water rushing down from the top of the cliff and mist filling the air; it is a well-known karst waterfall landscape in China.

The Great Wall

The design presents the Great Wall winding along mountain ridges, with watchtowers scattered and mountains stretching continuously; it is a landmark landscape of the Chinese nation.

Tianshan Mountains

The design depicts the scenery of the Tianshan Mountains, with towering snow peaks and forests and meadows distributed below the mountain, presenting the magnificent appearance of snowy mountains and grasslands on the northwestern frontier.

Hainan Scenery

The main subject is several tall, straight coconut trees, with coconut groves and blue seas; it is a typical representative of Hainan's tropical coastal scenery.

Northeast Forest Sea

The design shows the dense primeval coniferous forests of the Greater Khingan Mountains, with layers upon layers of trees, displaying the vast forest resources of the Northeast forest region.

Artistic Design Features

The photogravure colors of the set are transparent and bright. Compared with the engraved Pu 21, the images are soft and delicate, with fresh tones. The five landscapes belong respectively to the southwest, north China, northwest, south China, and northeast, with a balanced regional distribution. The compositions are concise and generalized, and the images are clean, suitable for use as commonly used ordinary stamps for communications. It is also a set of ordinary stamps widely loved by philatelists and was voted the Second National Best Ordinary Stamp.