Scott No: 3131-34
Serial number: 2001-16
Values in set: 4
Denomination: 5.20 yuan
Date of issue: 26th August 2001
Designer: Jiang Weijie and Li Qingfa
Size of stamps: 50*30 mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 16
Printing process: offset
Printer: Henan Post & Telecommmunication Printing Works

This stamp set, The Datong River-to-Qinwangchuan Water Diversion Project, was issued on August 26, 2001. It is a special stamp set consisting of four stamps with a total face value of 5.20 yuan. The designers are Jiang Weijie and Li Qingfa, with photography by Song Youde and Chen Yongguan. It was printed using offset printing by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory. The perforation gauge is 12 degrees, and each stamp measures 50×30 mm.

This stamp set features four core landmark water structures of the Datong River-to-Qinwangchuan Water Diversion Project in Gansu. Through realistic images, it showcases the magnificent scale of this large cross-basin water diversion project, documents the great achievements of its construction, reflects the hardworking spirit of water conservancy builders in overcoming difficulties, and demonstrates the livelihood value of water conservancy projects in transforming nature and benefiting the people of Northwest China.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Headworks Diversion Hub

The headworks are located on the Datong River near Tiantang Temple in Tianzhu County, Gansu, and serve as the water intake source for the entire project. The project diverts water from the Datong River. The gates and gate chambers are built along the mountain and river, directing the water of the Datong River into the main canal and beginning a cross-basin water conveyance journey of over one hundred kilometers. The Qinwangchuan area is arid with little rain and high evaporation. Although the land is vast, it is severely short of water. This diversion hub is the leader of the entire project, continuously delivering clean water from the Datong River to the arid Qinwangchuan Basin, giving the desert and dry plains the opportunity to become fertile farmland.

Xianming Gorge Inverted Siphon

The Xianming Gorge Inverted Siphon is located in Xianming Gorge, a tributary of the Datong River. It is one of Asia's large inverted siphon projects. Two giant pressure pipelines span the gorge in the air, with a diameter of 2.65 meters. They use the height difference to allow water to flow through the gorge by gravity without pumping. The terrain along the Datong River-to-Qinwangchuan route is complex, with high mountains and deep gorges blocking the water conveyance line. The inverted siphon is a key structure for crossing river valleys. Its construction was extremely difficult, making it a highly representative water conservancy wonder that embodies the wisdom of the builders.

Main Canal Tunnel

The Datong River-to-Qinwangchuan Project has a large number of tunnels, and the main canal tunnel is the core part of the main water conveyance line. The stamp shows the scene of water flowing through the tunnel, with smooth inner walls and water flowing steadily forward underground. The entire project is connected by dozens of tunnels, with much of the construction carried out deep in the mountains underground. The builders overcame numerous difficulties such as complex geology and fractured surrounding rock to open up this artificial underground long river, conveying water through the mountains. It is the most difficult part of the entire project.

Zhuanglang River Aqueduct

The Zhuanglang River Aqueduct is a large elevated water conveyance structure in the Datong River-to-Qinwangchuan Project. It spans the Zhuanglang River valley in the air, with the canal built on top of the bridge, allowing the canal water to cross over the river valley. The aqueduct is several thousand meters long, with rows of piers, grand and majestic, solving the problem of the water conveyance line crossing the Zhuanglang River. The aqueduct delivers canal water to the Qinwangchuan irrigation area, providing water for farmland irrigation and urban and rural water supply. It completely changes the drought and water shortage situation in Qinwangchuan, nourishing vast areas of land and benefiting millions of people.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses a realistic photographic composite design method. The images are realistic and rigorous, preserving the true structural texture of the water conservancy structures. The four stamps follow four key nodes—source water intake, gorge crossing, underground tunnel, and river valley aqueduct—forming a complete chain of the entire water conveyance line. The designs use blue sky and mountains as the background, paired with blue water element symbols, highlighting the theme of water. The tones are steady and substantial. Through the stamps, the magnificence of this large cross-basin water diversion project in Northwest China is presented, highlighting China's outstanding achievements in water conservancy construction.