Scott No: 2117-20
Serial number: T121
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: October 30, 1987
Denomination: 116 fen
Designers: Zhou Lingzhao
Size of stamps: 40*27mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 50(5*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T121 "Famous Towers of Successive Chinese Dynasties" special stamps were issued on October 30, 1987. The set consists of 4 stamps, with T121M souvenir sheet also issued, printed by photogravure, with a stamp size of 40 × 27 mm, perforation gauge 11, and 50 stamps per sheet. Designed by Zhou Lingzhao and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory.

Theme of the Set

The set selects four ancient Chinese towers renowned throughout the world, including the three famous towers of Jiangnan and the fairy pavilion of the East Sea. These towers carry famous poems and prose through the ages and are cultural symbols where classical architecture and literature blend. This set showcases the exquisite construction skills of ancient Chinese towers, conveys the literati tradition of climbing a tower to express one's feelings, and highlights the unique humanistic charm of ancient architecture.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Yellow Crane Tower

The image shows the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan, commanding the top of Snake Hill on the south bank of the Yangtze River. The Yellow Crane Tower was first built in the Three Kingdoms period and was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt over the dynasties. It became famous throughout the world because of the poem "Yellow Crane Tower" and is honored as the finest tower of rivers and mountains under heaven.

Yueyang Tower

The image shows the Yueyang Tower in Yueyang, Hunan, facing Dongting Lake and gazing toward Jun Mountain. Fan Zhongyan wrote "Record of Yueyang Tower" here, and the spirit of "be the first to worry about the world's troubles and the last to enjoy its joys" has been passed down through the ages. It is one of the three famous towers of Jiangnan.

Tengwang Pavilion

The image shows the Tengwang Pavilion in Nanchang, Jiangxi, situated on the banks of the Gan River. Wang Bo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng" has been recited through the ages, and "the setting clouds and the lone duck fly together; the autumn water and the vast sky share one color" has become a famous line handed down through generations.

Penglai Pavilion

The image shows the Penglai Pavilion on Danya Mountain in Penglai, Shandong, facing the Bohai Sea. According to legend, it is the place where the Eight Immortals crossed the sea, and clouds and mist often linger around it. It has long been known as a fairy mountain on the sea, full of mythological color.

Artistic Design Features

The set adopts a fine-brush heavy-color decorative painting style, with a unified beige background paired with auspicious clouds, distant mountains, and flowing water, and uses a cartouche-style composition to set off the main body of each tower. The architectural forms are rigorous and graceful, and the colors are elegant and weighty. Each tower is paired with its corresponding landscape environment, blending poetry and painting with a lasting antique charm. It is a classic work among stamps on ancient architecture themes.