Scott No: -
Serial number: 2014-3
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: January 27, 2014
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Yves Boyard
Size of stamps: 52 * 31 mm
Perforation: 13 * 12.5
Sheet composition: 16
Size of sheet: 228 * 165 mm
Printing process: Offset and engraving
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and France, China Post and La Poste (the French postal service) jointly issued the commemorative stamp set "50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between China and France," which was released in France on March 27, 2014.

The commemorative stamp set "50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Relations between China and France" consists of two stamps, with 1.5 million copies issued in France. The stamps were designed by the world-renowned French artist Yves Beaujard. The two stamp designs feature one Chinese and one Western scene, respectively depicting the Qinhuai River in Nanjing, China, and the Seine River in Paris, France.

The stamp designs were created by French stamp designer Yves Beaujard. The artist employed a free and spontaneous style, using concise and clear brushwork and a restrained, bright color palette to represent these two picturesque views. The stamps were produced using a combination of offset and intaglio printing, resulting in clear outlines and a strong three-dimensional effect. Utilizing fluorescent anti-counterfeiting technology, under ultraviolet light, a colorful night scene appears, evoking the poetic atmosphere of the Qinhuai River as described in Zhu Ziqing's famous essay "The Sound of Oars and the Glow of Lights on the Qinhuai River," while also beautifully capturing the enchanting scenery of the Seine River in Paris.

This joint stamp issue marks the second collaboration between the postal authorities of China and France, following the "Forbidden City and Louvre" stamp issue in 1998. Philippe Wahl, President of La Poste, and Li Guohua, Director of China Post, attended the first-day issuance ceremony for the French edition of the stamps held in Paris on March 27, 2014. The Chinese edition of the stamp set had already been issued in China in January 2014.