Scott No: 3020-23
Serial number: 2001-13
Values in set: 3
Denomination: 240 fen
Denomination of S/S: 8 yuan
Date of issue: 22nd July 2001
Designer: Xu Yanbo
Size of stamps:
38*50 mm for Value 1 and 3;
50*38 mm for Value 2;
Size of S/S stamp : 40 * 60 mm;
Size of S/S : 124 * 84 mm;
Perforation:12
Sheet composition: 16
Printing process: offset
Printer:Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

This stamp set, Huangguoshu Waterfall Group, was issued on July 22, 2001. It is a special stamp set consisting of three stamps, along with one souvenir sheet issued concurrently. The total face value of the stamps is 2.40 yuan, and the souvenir sheet has a face value of 8 yuan. The designer is Xu Yanbo. It was printed using offset printing by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. The perforation gauge is 12 degrees. The stamp sizes are: Silver Chain Falling into Pool Waterfall 38×50 mm, Doupotang Waterfall 50×38 mm, and Dishuitan Waterfall 38×50 mm. The souvenir sheet measures 125×88 mm, and the stamp within it measures 90×50 mm.

This stamp set features three waterfalls of different styles within the Huangguoshu Waterfall Group in Guizhou, with the souvenir sheet presenting the core Huangguoshu Great Waterfall. Using the form of landscape painting, it showcases the waterfall wonders created by karst landforms, presenting the diverse beauty of the waterfall group—majestic, unusual, beautiful, and precipitous—and displaying the magnificent mountain and water scenery of southwestern China.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Silver Chain Falling into Pool Waterfall

Located in the Tianxingqiao Scenic Area downstream of Huangguoshu Waterfall, it has a total height of about 40 meters and is the most beautiful waterfall in the Huangguoshu group. The water is divided by the rocks of the water stone forest into countless fine streams, like thousands of silver chains, sliding down layer by layer over the travertine rocks and falling into the deep pool below. Hence the name Silver Chain Falling into Pool. The stamp captures the unique form of the water dispersing as it falls into the pool, surrounded by green trees, with clear rock textures, showcasing the peculiar karst water scenery of water winding around the stone forest and cascading into a waterfall, different from ordinary straight-drop waterfalls.

Doupotang Waterfall

Located on the Baishui River section one kilometer upstream of Huangguoshu Great Waterfall, it is the widest waterfall in the Huangguoshu group. The top of the waterfall is broad and gentle, and the water spreads evenly over the wide travertine beach, forming a thin curtain-like sheet of water. Before a flood arrives, the waterfall emits a low rumble, so it is also called the "Roaring Waterfall." This location was also a filming site for the ending of the classic TV series Journey to the West. The stamp shows the broad waterfall surface, with river water spilling over the beach and dam, and lush vegetation on both banks, fully displaying its gentle and expansive character.

Dishuitan Waterfall

Located on a tributary of the Baling River in Guanling, about 7 kilometers from Huangguoshu Great Waterfall, it has the largest total drop in the entire waterfall group, reaching 410 meters. It is composed of multiple cascading drops, layer upon layer, plunging down in one continuous flow. The stamp depicts the waterfall falling step by step from high mountains and deep valleys, with towering cliffs, and the waterfall pouring down in sections through the gorge. The momentum is precipitous and majestic, fully displaying the shocking scene of a high waterfall suspended in deep mountain valleys.

Souvenir Sheet: Huangguoshu Waterfall

Huangguoshu Great Waterfall is the core of the entire waterfall group. The water of the Baishui River plunges from a sheer cliff, with a total height of 77.8 meters and a width of 101 meters. It is the most famous karst great waterfall in China. Behind the waterfall is a Water Curtain Cave over one hundred meters long, through which visitors can walk to view the waterfall. The souvenir sheet fully presents the magnificent scene of the great waterfall surging through the air, with mist filling the air and mountains surrounding it, fully presenting the majestic momentum of "a stream suspended and pounding, ten thousand silks flying in the air."

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses a realistic watercolor landscape painting style, depicting rocks, trees, and cascading water with delicate brushwork and rich color layers. The three main stamps each have their own focus: Silver Chain Falling into Pool highlights beauty and liveliness, Doupotang displays breadth and expansiveness, and Dishuitan emphasizes height, steepness, and precipitousness, interpreting the different aesthetic qualities of the waterfall group from multiple angles. The souvenir sheet has a grand composition, focusing on the thundering and surging momentum of the main Huangguoshu Waterfall, complementing the three main stamps and fully presenting the natural charm of the Huangguoshu Waterfall Group, the world's largest karst waterfall community.