Scott No: 3204-07
Serial number: 2002-12
Values in set: 4
Souvenir Sheet: 1
Denomination: 3.20 yuan
Denomination of S/S: 8 yuan
Date of issue: 8th June 2002
Designer: Jiang Weijie and Li Qingfa
Size of stamps: 50*30 mm
Size of S/S : 115*96 mm
Size of S/S stamp : 40*60 mm
Perforation: 13 * 12.5
Sheet composition: 12
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The stamp set is cataloged as 2002-12, titled Water Conservancy and Hydropower Projects on the Yellow River. It was issued on June 8, 2002. The set consists of four stamps and one souvenir sheet in a photogravure edition printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. The designers are Jiang Weijie and Li Qingfa. The total face value of the stamps is 3.2 yuan, and the souvenir sheet has a face value of 8 yuan. Each stamp measures 50×30 mm, with a perforation gauge of 13×12.5 degrees. Each sheet contains 12 stamps, with a bridge section in the middle of the sheet.

The Yellow River has been prone to flooding since ancient times. After the founding of New China, large-scale comprehensive management of the Yellow River began. A series of cascade water conservancy hubs were built along the main stem of the Yellow River, combining multiple benefits such as flood control, power generation, irrigation, and sediment retention. This stamp set features five representative water conservancy projects on the main stem of the Yellow River, showcasing China's major achievements in managing the Yellow River and developing and utilizing its water resources.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Lijiaxia Hydropower Station

Located on the main stem of the Yellow River at the border of Jianzha and Hualong in Qinghai, it is a large hydropower station in the upper Yellow River cascade development. It was fully completed in 1999. The main structure is a three-center double-curvature arch dam, with a towering dam body and a wide reservoir surface. The project is primarily for power generation, with irrigation as a secondary function, and is an important power source for the Northwest China power grid. The stamp shows the dam, powerhouse, and the magnificent landscape of a calm lake within high gorges, representing the achievements of hydropower development in the upper Yellow River.

Liujiaxia Hydropower Station

Located on the main stem of the Yellow River in Yongjing, Gansu, it is China's first million-kilowatt-level large water conservancy hub, completed in the 1970s. The dam impounds the waters of the Yellow River, Tao River, and Daxia River, integrating flood control, power generation, irrigation, and ice prevention. It changed the water-scarce situation in parts of the northwest. The stamp presents the magnificent concrete dam and reservoir area, a landmark project of early New China's management of the Yellow River.

Qingtongxia Water Conservancy Hub

Located in Qingtongxia City, Ningxia, at the last gorge of the upper Yellow River, it was basically completed in 1967. It is a low-head riverbed sluice dam project, with irrigation as its core function, while also accommodating power generation and flood control. It nourishes the Ningxia Plain, a granary beyond the Great Wall, and supports the thousand-year agricultural development of the Yellow River irrigation district. The stamp depicts the continuous sluice and dam structures, reflecting the supporting role of Yellow River water conservancy in the agricultural development of the northwest.

Sanmenxia Water Conservancy Hub

Located at the border of Sanmenxia in Henan and Pinglu in Shanxi, it is the first large water conservancy hub project built by New China on the main stem of the Yellow River, completed in 1960. The project underwent several reconstructions and mainly serves flood control, ice prevention, and sediment retention, occupying an important position in the water and sediment regulation system of the middle and lower Yellow River. The stamp shows the grand scene of the dam cutting across the Yellow River, bearing witness to China's exploration of managing the Yellow River's sediment problems.

Xiaolangdi Water Conservancy Hub (Souvenir Sheet)

Xiaolangdi is located on the main stem of the Yellow River north of Luoyang, Henan. It is a key control project for Yellow River management, completed in 2001. It is located at the outlet of the last gorge in the middle reaches of the Yellow River and undertakes tasks such as flood control, sediment reduction, water supply, and power generation. It can effectively regulate downstream floods and curb riverbed elevation, making it a milestone project in comprehensive Yellow River management. The souvenir sheet fully presents the dam, flood discharge structures, and the panoramic view of the reservoir area, serving as the centerpiece of the entire stamp set.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamps use the photogravure process, with steady and substantial colors, accurately reproducing the textures of the mountains, concrete dams, and water surfaces. The stamps use a horizontal format, presenting the grand scale of the water conservancy projects from a realistic aerial perspective. A uniform brownish-yellow earth tone is used, fitting the geomorphological characteristics of the Yellow River basin. The designs minimize extraneous decoration, highlighting the spatial relationships between dams, powerhouses, mountains, and reservoir areas. The stamp set is arranged in the order of the projects from upstream to downstream of the Yellow River, forming a complete narrative of Yellow River development and highlighting the achievements of harmonious coexistence between humanity and water.