Scott No: -
Serial number: 2016-10
Values in set: 6
Date of issue: May 5, 2016
Denomination: 720 fen
Designer: Liu Jingui, Wang Huming
Size of stamps: Long arc 30.76 mm, straight edge 48 mm (fanshaped)
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 12 (2 sets)
Sheet Size: 196 * 185 mm
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Stamp Printing Works

Twenty-Four Solar Terms (II) is a set of special stamps issued by China Post on May 5, 2016, to commemorate the Twenty-Four Solar Terms, with the catalogue number 2016-10. The full set of stamps has a total face value of 7.20 yuan.

The Twenty-Four Solar Terms are 24 time points and dates with seasonal significance, defined by the ancient Chinese according to the sun’s position on the ecliptic circle throughout the year, with each term lasting approximately 15 days. As a unique phenological and agricultural calendar of China, the Twenty-Four Solar Terms have been used to guide agricultural production for thousands of years, playing a pivotal role in the survival and prosperity of the Chinese nation. They have also given rise to a wealth of related seasonal customs and cultures, becoming an important part of traditional Chinese culture. In 2006, "The Twenty-Four Solar Terms in the Lunar Calendar" was included in the first batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List. This stamp set features the six solar terms of summer: Beginning of Summer, Grain Buds, Grain in Ear, Summer Solstice, Minor Heat and Major Heat.

The first stamp, Beginning of Summer, takes peonies as the seasonal symbol, depicting a woman admiring peonies in real life.

The second stamp, Grain Buds, echoes the silkworm-raising scene of Grain Rain in the first stamp set. It portrays the period when silkworms gradually finish spinning cocoons and sericulturists start reeling silk with spinning wheels.

The third stamp, Grain in Ear, shows farmers transplanting rice seedlings during this solar term.

The fourth stamp, Summer Solstice, features lotus flowers as the seasonal marker, depicting children playing by a lotus pond.

The fifth stamp, Minor Heat, illustrates the scene of field irrigation with water carts; the goats drinking water at the bottom of the picture also hint at the rising temperature characteristic of this period.

The sixth stamp, Major Heat, captures the leisurely scene of people relaxing and escaping the summer heat.

Twenty-Four Solar Terms (II) is a sequel to the special stamp set Twenty-Four Solar Terms (I). It boasts an innovative design, continuing the arrangement style of traditional Chinese fan paintings and adopting the form of Chinese painting sketches, with light and delicate brushwork, free and lyrical expressions, and a concise and vivid presentation. The stamp designs organically integrate art with daily life, taking phenology, folk customs and farming activities as the main subjects, reflecting the phenological changes during the rotation of summer solar terms. Inheriting the design concept and style of Twenty-Four Solar Terms (I) issued on February 4, 2015, this set of stamps vividly presents the phenological and agricultural calendar that has guided China’s agricultural production for thousands of years, making it a highly valuable collection with exceptional artistic appeal and aesthetic merit.