Scott No: 3128-30
Serial number: 2001-15
Values in set: 3
Denomination: 4.20 yuan
Date of issue: 22nd August 2001
Designer: Shi Xiangdong
Size of stamps: 40*30 mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 20
Printing process: offset
Printer: Shenyang Post & Telecommmunication Printing Works

This stamp set, The 21st World University Games, was issued on August 22, 2001. It is a commemorative stamp set consisting of three stamps with a total face value of 4.20 yuan. The designer is Shi Xiangdong. It was printed using offset printing by Shenyang Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory in Liaoning Province. The perforation gauge is 12 degrees, and each stamp measures 40×30 mm.

This stamp set was issued to commemorate the 21st Summer World University Games held in Beijing. The entire set uses the number "2001" as its basic compositional framework, interpreting sportsmanship, youth character, and international exchange. It showcases the sports philosophy of global young athletes striving and engaging in friendly exchange, documenting China's first time hosting a comprehensive world university sports event.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

The Importance of Participation

The stamp has a white background, with an artistic "2001" design as the main subject. The two "0"s in the middle are transformed into interwoven colorful circular running tracks. The emblem of the Games is printed at the top. "The importance of participation" is an important Olympic spirit. The 21st World University Games were held in Beijing from August 22 to September 1, 2001. University athletes from around the world gathered at the competition venues. Regardless of victory or defeat, the emphasis was on participation, competition, and mutual exchange. The colorful tracks symbolize the competition arena, signifying that the sports event provides a stage for young people from various countries to compete together.

Exercise and Scale New Heights

The stamp has a warm orange-yellow background, still using the "2001" numerical framework. The two "0"s in the middle are rendered as red, yellow, and blue color blocks, overlaid with silhouettes of three dynamic young athletes. The emblem of the Games is at the top. The running and leaping poses of the athletes are full of dynamism, highlighting the vibrant spirit of contemporary university students. It conveys the theme of persisting in exercise, not fearing challenges, and scaling new athletic heights, showcasing the energetic vitality of young students.

Expanding Exchange

The stamp has a white background, retaining the "2001" main visual. The two "0"s are painted with maps of the Eastern and Western hemispheres, symbolizing a connected world. The emblem of the Games is printed at the top. The Universiade is a worldwide youth sports event. Sports transcend national borders. Young people from various countries use the event as a bond to understand each other, enhance friendship, and promote exchanges between different countries and civilizations, embodying the contemporary connotations of openness, inclusiveness, and expanding exchange.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses modern graphic creative design. The three images share the core visual symbol of "2001," creating a strong series identity. The colors are bright and rich, and the compositions are simple and modern, without complex realistic scenes. The creative technique of numerical transformation is used to express the themes. Each of the three stamps has its own focus, interpreting sportsmanship, youth striving, and international exchange respectively. The design language is unified, using simple and abstract visual forms to express the core connotations of youth, openness, and unity of the World University Games.