Scott No: -
Serial number: 2013-25
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: September 29, 2013
Denomination: 440 fen
Designer: He Jie, Zhou Yue
Size of stamps: 40 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 16
Sheet size: 190 * 172 mm
Denomination of M/S: 660 fen
Size of M/S: 180 * 88 mm
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

On September 29, 2013, China Post officially issued the special stamp set Chinese Dream – Prosperous Nation with the serial number 2013-25. The complete set consists of four individual stamps, alongside one souvenir sheet released simultaneously. As the debut installment of the "Chinese Dream" stamp series, it was followed by two subsequent sets planned as National Rejuvenation and People’s Happiness, completing the full thematic trilogy over three years.

On November 29, 2012, General Secretary Xi Jinping first put forward the clear thesis during a visit to the Road to Rejuvenation exhibition at the National Museum of China: "Realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is the greatest dream of the Chinese nation since modern times." The essential connotation of the Chinese Dream lies in achieving national prosperity and strength, national rejuvenation, and people’s wellbeing. Born against this historic backdrop, this stamp set features four landmark national strategic projects as its themes, embodying the age-old Chinese aspiration: "We can grasp the moon in the ninth heaven and catch sea turtles deep beneath the five oceans." It fully showcases remarkable achievements in China’s growing comprehensive national strength under the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

The four stamps carry face values of 0.80 yuan, 1.20 yuan, 1.20 yuan, and 1.20 yuan respectively, with a total face value of 4.40 yuan; the souvenir sheet is priced at 6.60 yuan.

All four stamps adopt deep blue as their core background tone, seamlessly connecting scenes from outer space, the sky, land to the ocean. Harmonious in composition and grand in momentum, they depict the four major national strategic projects one by one:

Shenzhou Spacecraft Docking with Tiangong-1, face value 0.80 yuan. Set against the boundless cosmos, the design freezes the precise rendezvous and docking moment of the Shenzhou spacecraft and Tiangong-1 within the tiny stamp frame. The silvery spacecraft and space station glow brightly against the dark blue backdrop, demonstrating China’s pinnacle strength in manned space engineering.

Beidou Satellite Navigation System, face value 1.20 yuan. The artwork centers on the magnificent scene of the Beidou satellite constellation in operation, with dense satellite networks covering all signal ranges. It marks China’s strategic breakthrough in independently developing a global satellite navigation system and embodies firm strides toward self-reliance and strength in core national technologies.

Aircraft Carrier Liaoning, face value 1.20 yuan. The stamp portrays the Liaoning cutting through rolling waves, its massive hull sailing majestically between sea and sky. It symbolizes the historic leap of China’s navy from coastal defense to open-ocean patrol, carrying the Chinese people’s profound aspiration for a maritime power.

Jiaolong Manned Submersible, face value 1.20 yuan. The illustration captures the spectacular sight of the Jiaolong diving ten thousand meters into the ocean depths, steadily descending through dark blue seawater. It demonstrates extraordinary feats that have propelled China’s deep-sea exploration technology to the world’s top tier, fulfilling the millennia-old wish "to catch sea turtles deep beneath the five oceans."

The souvenir sheet arranges the four stamps diagonally, with the three Chinese characters "Chinese Dream" integrated into its marginal ornamentation: the character "Zhong (China)" is golden yellow; "Guo (Nation)" pale orange-yellow; "Meng (Dream)" pale orange-yellow on the upper half and bright red on the lower half. The four characters "Prosperous Nation" are printed in solid crimson red, forming distinct, solemn and warm color layers. The overall design features surging waves blending sea and sky, retaining the unified blue tonal style of the four individual stamps, condensing the lofty ambition of reaching space and exploring the deep sea onto a single sheet of paper.