Scott No: 3230-33
Serial number:2002-19
Values in set: 4
Denomination: 3.20 yuan
Date of issue: 7th Sep. 2002
Designer: Xu Yanbo
Size of stamps:
50*30 mm for Value 1 and 2;
30*50 mm for Value 3 and 4;
Perforation:
13 * 12.5 for Value 1 and 2;
12.5 * 13 for Value 3 and 4;
Sheet composition: 12;
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The stamp set is cataloged as 2002-19, titled Mount Yandang. It was issued on September 7, 2002. The set consists of four stamps in a photogravure edition printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. The designer is Xu Yanbo. The total face value is 3.2 yuan. The stamp sizes are as follows: Xiansheng Gate and Dalongqiu Waterfall are 30×50 mm; Beidou Cave and Guanyin Peak are 50×30 mm. The perforation gauges are 12.5×13 degrees for the first two and 13×12.5 degrees for the latter two. Each sheet contains 12 stamps, with a bridge section on the sheet.

Mount Yandang is located in Yueqing, Wenzhou, Zhejiang. It is known as the "First Mountain of the Southeast" and is one of China's three great mountains. It is famous for its four wonders: peaks, cliffs, caves, and waterfalls. The unique peaks and strange rock formations created by volcanic rock make it one of a kind. Since ancient times, it has attracted literati and poets to visit, leaving behind numerous poems and stone inscriptions. It is a national-level scenic area. This stamp set features four classic scenic spots of North Yandang, showcasing the magnificent and ethereal landscape of Mount Yandang.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Xiansheng Gate

Xiansheng Gate is located in the northern part of Mount Yandang and is known as the "First Gate Under Heaven." Two steep cliffs stand facing each other, forming a narrow stone gate between them. The gorge is deep, the cliffs on both sides tower high, the valley floor is covered in green vegetation, and clouds and mist swirl around. Xiansheng Gate was formed by volcanic rhyolite after millions of years of weathering and erosion. The steep and magnificent rock walls are a typical representative of the cliff and peak landforms of Mount Yandang. Visitors through the ages have marveled at the uncanny workmanship of nature.

Dalongqiu Waterfall

Dalongqiu is the most famous waterfall on Mount Yandang and one of China's four great waterfalls. The waterfall plunges from a cliff nearly two hundred meters high. Its volume varies with the seasons. In the rainy season, it roars and surges; in the dry season, it scatters like silver threads, presenting countless forms. The scenery of Dalongqiu is ever-changing. It has been the subject of numerous literary inscriptions since ancient times and is a landmark landscape of Mount Yandang. The stamp captures the spectacular moment when the waterfall falls into the pool, with water mist filling the valley.

Beidou Cave

Beidou Cave is located in the Lingfeng Scenic Area and is a famous large cave dwelling on Mount Yandang, belonging to a volcanic rock cave. The entrance is wide, and the interior is deep and spacious. In ancient times, a Taoist temple was built inside the cave, enshrining Taoist deities. Outside the entrance, the vegetation is lush, surrounded by mountains, creating a serene and quiet environment. The cave is named after the Big Dipper and has a profound Taoist cultural heritage. Surrounded by spectacular peaks, it integrates the humanistic cave with the natural rocks.

Guanyin Peak

Guanyin Peak is an iconic rock peak of Mount Yandang. The outline of the entire peak resembles a seated Guanyin. The rock body is full and upright, standing among the mountains. This is a natural pictographic rock formation, requiring no artificial carving. Viewed from a distance, the resemblance is remarkably true. The surrounding peaks rise and fall in continuous waves, and clouds often drift across the mountainside, creating a Zen atmosphere. It is a model of the pictographic peak and rock landscapes of Mount Yandang.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamps use the photogravure process, with rich color layers, reproducing the texture of pen-and-watercolor painting, delicately expressing the texture of the rocks, the depth of the forests, and the mist in the mountains. The stamps alternate between horizontal and vertical formats. Each of the four scenes has its own focus: the grandeur of the gate, the movement of the waterfall, the seclusion of the cave, and the stillness of the peak, presented in sequence. The designs use a realistic landscape painting style, without extraneous decoration, using elegant tones to highlight the unique and beautiful character of Mount Yandang's volcanic rock mountains, fully presenting the four great features of peaks, cliffs, caves, and waterfalls.