Scott No: -
Serial number: 2017-24
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: Sept 20, 2017
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Gao Yun
Size of stamps: 38 * 50 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition:
12 for Sheet I;
6 for Sheet II (3 Stamp Sets)
Size of sheet:
190 * 200 mm for Sheet I;
150 * 190 mm for Sheet II
Size of S/S: 86 * 125 mm
Size of S/S Stamp: 60 * 90 mm
S/S Perforation: 13 * 12.5
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

In the first year of Jianyuan during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (140 BCE), the Han court intended to form an alliance with the Great Yuezhi to jointly attack the Xiongnu. Zhang Qian volunteered to serve as an envoy. In the third year of Jianyuan, he departed from Longxi, but was captured by the Xiongnu while passing through their territory. He was detained there for ten years, during which he married a local woman and had children. Later, he managed to escape.

Continuing his westward journey, Zhang Qian reached Dayuan, then traveled through Kangju and finally arrived at the land of the Great Yuezhi. However, he failed to persuade the Great Yuezhi to form the alliance. During this trip, he also visited Bactria and stayed in the Great Yuezhi for over a year before starting his return journey. On the way back, he took the southern route, hugging the southern mountains to avoid being detected by the Xiongnu. Unfortunately, he was captured by the Xiongnu again and detained for more than a year. In the third year of Yuanshuo (126 BCE), internal unrest broke out among the Xiongnu, allowing Zhang Qian to flee back to the Han Dynasty together with his wife and children. He submitted a detailed report on the Western Regions to Emperor Wu of Han, who then appointed him as a Palace Attendant.

In the fourth year of Yuanshou (119 BCE), Zhang Qian embarked on his second mission to the Western Regions, reaching Wusun. He tried to persuade the Wusun to ally with the Han against the Xiongnu, but his proposal was rejected. He then dispatched deputy envoys, bearing imperial credentials, to various states including Dayuan, Kangju, Yuezhi and Bactria. In the second year of Yuanding (115 BCE), Zhang Qian returned to the Han Dynasty, accompanied by envoys from Wusun who traveled to Chang'an with him. After his return, Zhang Qian was appointed as Director of Foreign Affairs, but passed away the following year.

Subsequently, envoys sent by the Han Dynasty also visited Parthia (Persia), Sindhu (India), Aorsi (between the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea), Characene (a vassal state of Parthia) and Alexandria (Egypt, a dependency of the Roman Empire). Envoys from Parthia and other states also frequently visited Chang'an for exchanges and trade. From then on, the civilization of the Central Plains spread rapidly to surrounding regions via the Silk Road.

To commemorate Zhang Qian, China Post issued a set of special stamps titled Zhang Qian on September 20, 2017. The full set consists of two stamps and one souvenir sheet, created with traditional Chinese fine brushwork. One stamp, Opening Up the Western Regions, depicts the scene where Zhang Qian, though imprisoned during his first mission to the Western Regions, remained committed to his imperial mandate. The other stamp, Pioneering the Silk Road, portrays his second mission, which fostered friendly relations with states in the Western Regions. The souvenir sheet features an image of Zhang Qian in his later years, set against the backdrop of a Han Dynasty palace.