Scott No: 3144
Serial number: 2001-17
Values in set: 1
Denomination of S/S: 8 yuan
Date of issue: 20 October 2001
Designer: Guo Zhenshan
Size of S/S stamp: 93*52 mm
Size of S/S: 150*85 mm
Printing process: offset
Printer: Shenyang Post & Telecommunication Printing Works

This souvenir sheet, Ertan Hydropower Station, was issued on October 20, 2001. It consists of one souvenir sheet with a face value of 8 yuan. The designer is Guo Zhenshan. It was printed using offset printing by Shenyang Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory in Liaoning Province. The perforation gauge is 12 degrees, the stamp measures 93×52 mm, and the souvenir sheet measures 150×85 mm.

This souvenir sheet features the main hub of the Ertan Hydropower Station, showcasing the magnificent engineering of the largest hydropower station completed in China at the end of the 20th century. It documents China's achievements in large-scale hydropower engineering, highlights the value of the "West-to-East Power Transmission" strategic project, and reflects the leapfrog development of China's hydropower engineering technology.

Stamp Design and Historical Background

Ertan Hydropower Station

Ertan Hydropower Station is located on the lower reaches of the Yalong River in Panzhihua, Sichuan. It is the first giant hydropower station in the cascade development of the Yalong River main stem. Construction officially began in 1991, the first generating unit was put into operation in 1998, and all units were connected to the grid in 1999. The main dam is a concrete double-curvature arch dam with a height of 240 meters, the highest of its type in Asia at the time. The station is equipped with six generating units of 550,000 kilowatts each, with a total installed capacity of 3.3 million kilowatts. The stamp depicts the shocking scene of the dam releasing floodwaters. The high dam cuts across the gorge, and huge water flows gush from the spillway outlets, with mist surging and steep green mountains on both sides. The project was China's first large hydropower project to fully adopt international bidding and international engineering management practices. It overcame numerous technical difficulties such as complex geology and high slopes. It annually delivers large amounts of clean hydropower to Sichuan, Chongqing, and the eastern regions, making it one of the landmark energy projects of the Western Development Strategy.

Artistic and Design Features

The souvenir sheet uses a realistic landscape painting style. The composition is grand and expansive, using the gorge and mountains as environmental contrast to highlight the majestic momentum of the high dam and the surging floodwaters. The colors are rich in layers, with green mountains, gray dam body, and white surging water forming a strong visual contrast, reproducing the magnificent scene of a giant water conservancy hub in a high mountain gorge. The stamp focuses on the highly impactful scene of the dam releasing floodwaters, integrating the engineering structure with the natural mountains and rivers, and showcasing China's extraordinary strength in modern hydropower construction in a small format.