Scott No: 3092-7
Serial number: 2001-5
Values in set: 6
Denomination: 6.80 yuan
Date of issue: 7 April 2001
Designer: Huangli
Size: 50*30 mm
Perforation: 12*11.5
Sheet composition: 24
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

This stamp set, Water Towns of Jiangnan, was issued on April 7, 2001. It is a special stamp set consisting of six stamps with a total face value of 6.80 yuan. The designer is Huang Li. It was printed using photogravure by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. The perforation gauge is 12 degrees, and each stamp measures 50×30 mm.

This stamp set features six historic water towns in the Jiangnan region. Through the stamps, it showcases the unique character of these ancient towns—small bridges, flowing streams, and traditional residences—documenting the architectural features and cultural heritage of the Jiangnan water towns and preserving their history and culture.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Zhouzhuang, Kunshan

Zhouzhuang is located in Kunshan, Jiangsu, and is known as "China's First Water Town." The ancient town was first built in the Northern Song Dynasty. It developed along the river, with streets following the water. The stamp features the Twin Bridges as its core landscape. Two stone bridges intersect, one horizontal and one vertical, with their arches connected. Residences are built along the water, with white walls and dark tiles reflected in the water. Zhouzhuang preserves a complete complex of Ming and Qing ancient buildings, with crisscrossing waterways and boats coming and going. It is the most representative ancient town of the Jiangnan water towns.

Tongli, Wujiang

Tongli is located in Wujiang, Suzhou, Jiangsu. The ancient town is divided into several small islands by waterways, connected by numerous ancient bridges, with exquisite residential courtyards. The stamp features the scenery of the Retreat and Reflection Garden. Inside the garden, pavilions, rockeries, and ponds complement one another. The Retreat and Reflection Garden is a private garden from the late Qing Dynasty. It is small and exquisite and is a World Cultural Heritage site, reflecting the art of Jiangnan garden design. The ancient town has a profound cultural heritage.

Nanxun, Wuxing

Nanxun is located in Wuxing, Huzhou, Zhejiang. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, it prospered and became extremely wealthy due to the silk trade. The stamp shows century-old mansions along the river and ancient stone bridges, with architecture blending Chinese and Western styles. Nanxun has both traditional Jiangnan courtyard houses and a large number of modern Western-style buildings. Commercial culture and scholarly culture coexist, making it a uniquely distinctive wealthy merchant town of Jiangnan.

Xitang, Jiashan

Xitang is located in Jiashan, Jiaxing, Zhejiang. The ancient town is famous for its long covered corridors. The stamp shows the waterside corridor, which provides shade and shelter from rain, with ancient residences lining the river in dense rows. The waterways of the ancient town wind through, and the old alleys are deep and quiet. The covered corridor is a unique architectural form of Xitang, carrying the everyday riverside life and vitality of the water town residents.

Wuzhen, Tongxiang

Wuzhen is located in Tongxiang, Jiaxing, Zhejiang. The ancient town is divided into East Scenic Area and West Scenic Area and has a history of a thousand years. The stamp depicts the waterways, stone arch bridges, and waterside wooden houses of the water town, with dwellings built over the water arranged in a scattered pattern. Wuzhen has been a prosperous commercial town since ancient times and has produced many famous people. It preserves the complete street and alley layout of a water town and is a typical representative of the cultural life of the Jiangnan water towns.

Luzhi

Luzhi is located in Wuzhong, Suzhou, Jiangsu. The history of the ancient town can be traced back to the Spring and Autumn period. It has dense waterways and numerous ancient bridges, earning it the name "Town of Bridges." The stamp shows ancient bridges, flowing water, and ancient residences, with a simple and original water town character. The ancient town preserves a large number of ancient bridges from the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties. The water town atmosphere is quiet and profound, with a deep cultural heritage of Wu-Yue culture.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses a light-color realistic painting style. The horizontal continuous format links the six ancient towns together. The tones are simple and warm, reproducing the soft atmosphere of Jiangnan's misty rain. The designs focus on ancient bridges, flowing water, and white-walled, dark-tiled residences, minimizing complex scenery and highlighting the serene and elegant charm of the water towns. Each stamp presents the iconic landscape of one ancient town. The six images share a unified style, together presenting the architectural aesthetics and cultural character of the Jiangnan water towns.