Scott No: 3359-62
Serial number: 2004-10
Values in set: 4
Denomination: 320 fen
Date of issue: May 15, 2004
Designer: Yin Huili
Size of stamps: 40*30 mm
Perforation: 11*11.5
Sheet composition: 20
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

This special stamp set, New Look of Qiaoxiang (Hometowns of Overseas Chinese), was issued on May 15, 2004. It consists of four stamps with a total face value of 3.20 yuan, designed by Yin Huili, with Chen Yisi serving as the responsible editor, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works using the photogravure process. The set features four representative qiaoxiang in Hainan, Guangdong, and Fujian, presenting the remarkable achievements of reform and opening-up in these regions from four perspectives: modern agriculture, overseas Chinese education, economic zones, and urban-rural development. It pays tribute to the deep attachment of overseas Chinese to their homeland and their contributions to its development.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Xinglong Overseas Chinese Farm

The stamp depicts the tropical scenery of Xinglong in Hainan, with lush coconut groves and tropical crops spreading across the fields. This settlement farm for returned overseas Chinese has, after years of cultivation, developed into a base for characteristic tropical agriculture, bearing witness to the hard work and dedication of returned overseas Chinese in building new lives.

Jinan University

The main subject is the iconic arched gate of Jinan University, surrounded by palm trees. As a century-old institution for overseas Chinese education, it carries the mission of revitalizing the nation through education and serves as a cultural center for overseas Chinese students to pursue knowledge and achievement.

Fuqing Rongqiao Development Zone

The stamp presents the modern industrial park landscape of Fuqing in Fujian, with orderly factories and well-developed urban infrastructure. Built with overseas Chinese investment, it has become a new industrial city for opening-up and attracting investment.

Kaiping Qiaoxiang

The stamp depicts the rural landscape of Kaiping in Guangdong, with watchtowers and traditional houses scattered along the river, and sails dotting the water. It blends the rural charm of the Lingnan region with distinctive overseas Chinese architecture, presenting a prosperous and livable new picture of the qiaoxiang.

Artistic and Design Features

The horizontal format features a realistic landscape illustration style, with bright and vivid colors, reflecting four distinct regional characters: tropical farmland, cultural campus, modern industrial park, and rural water town. The photogravure printing provides soft and transparent layers. The stamps incorporate multiple anti-counterfeiting features, including security paper, security ink, and fluorescent spray codes. The overall design is vivid and realistic, directly presenting the thriving and dynamic new face of contemporary qiaoxiang.

This stamp set is a special issue on the theme of qiaoxiang development and scenery, suitable for thematic collections on reform and opening-up, cultural landscapes, and overseas Chinese culture.