Scott No: -
Serial number: 2019-12
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: June 11, 2019
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of stamps: 32 * 50 mm
Perforation: 13 * 13.5
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
8 for Sheet II (2 sets)
Sheet Size:
163 * 236 mm for sheet I;
191 * 138 mm for Sheet II (4 Sets)
Stamp Printing process: Offset
Size of S/S: 146 * 95 mm
Size of S/S stamp: Radius 31 mm (Circular)
Perforation of S/S: 13 * 13.5
S/S Printing process: Offset + Engraving
Printing House: Henan Provincal Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 2 commemorative stamps and 1 souvenir sheet titled "China 2019 World Stamp Exhibition" on June 11, 2019. The total face value of the complete set of stamps is 8.40 yuan.

The China 2019 World Stamp Exhibition is scheduled to be held at the Wuhan International Expo Center in Hubei from June 11 to 17, 2019. With the theme of "Promoting Prosperity Together, Building Mutual Trust for Peace, Learning from Each Other’s Cultures, and Assisting Each Other for Ecological Development", this exhibition is the third time China has hosted this grand philatelic event following 1999 and 2009. It is also an important activity in the philatelic community to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, showcase the brilliant achievements of China since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China through the unique form of philatelic culture, and promote cultural exchanges and international cooperation in the field of postal services and philately.

The stamps and the souvenir sheet continue the series arrangement of stamps issued for world stamp exhibitions hosted by China. They use national treasure-level cultural relics that embody the cultural heritage of the host city and represent the essence of traditional Chinese culture to highlight the theme of the World Stamp Exhibition.

The stamps take the Panorama of Jianghan (a silk painting of the Ming Dynasty, currently collected in Wuhan Museum) as the subject. The painting presents a magnificent and broad scene with delicate brushwork and clear layers. Distant mountains rise in continuous ranges, while numerous sailboats gather nearby. The Qingchuan Pavilion and the Yellow Crane Tower face each other across the river, and the Parrot Island is shaded by green trees. It clearly depicts the beautiful landscape and prosperous scene of the three towns of Wuhan in the Ming Dynasty. The stamps adopt a concise layout design with left and right bleed, forming a connected stamp design to present the complete style of the ancient painting.
The stamp pattern on the souvenir sheet features the Zeng Hou Yi Zun and Pan (a set of bronze ritual vessels, currently collected in Hubei Provincial Museum). Unearthed from the middle chamber of the Tomb of Zeng Hou Yi in Suizhou City, Hubei Province, the Zeng Hou Yi Zun and Pan consists of two independent artifacts: a zun (a wine vessel) and a pan (a water vessel). It is one of the most complex and exquisite bronze artifacts of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Made using the lost-wax casting technique, it represents the pinnacle of ancient Chinese bronze casting technology and is among the first batch of cultural relics prohibited from being exhibited abroad. The border decoration of the souvenir sheet uses design elements such as river water, auspicious clouds, Wuhan’s landmark Yellow Crane Tower, and the emblem of this World Stamp Exhibition, all outlined in a single-color line, presenting a simple and elegant tone.

The stamps are printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory. The two stamps are printed using multi-color offset printing technology. Through ancient painting restoration technology, parts of the Panorama of Jianghan are restored, reproducing the charm of the ancient painting while preserving its traditional elegance. On the Sheetlet 2 of the stamps, the words "CHINA2019" are punched with 0.6mm perforations, indicating the host city and year of this exhibition. This 0.6mm-diameter perforation is used for the first time on commemorative and special stamps. The souvenir sheet, on the other hand, adopts for the first time the technical process combining offset and intaglio printing with cold stamping. As a national treasure-level bronze artifact, the Zeng Hou Yi Zun and Pan has long been unable to be presented on the small space of a stamp due to its complex production process, delicate patterns, and limitations in engraving and printing capabilities. Taking the opportunity of the World Stamp Exhibition being held in Wuhan, Hubei, the Zeng Hou Yi Zun and Pan is perfectly presented on the souvenir sheet’s stamp pattern through the careful design of the designer and the exquisite engraving skills of the engraver. The cold stamping process is applied to the border decoration of the souvenir sheet, making patterns such as the Yellow Crane Tower, river water, and auspicious clouds alternately change between purple and gold when viewed from different angles. QR codes are also printed on the border decorations of Sheetlet 1 and Sheetlet 2 of the stamps; scanning them with WeChat allows users to view detailed introductions of the stamps, relevant information articles, and enjoy design drafts as well as promotional audio and video materials.

In addition, 1 souvenir sheet with special craftsmanship is issued. This special-craft souvenir sheet is printed with single-color engraving and uses watermarked stamp paper with the China Post logo.

The stamps are designed by Wang Huming, Deputy Chief Designer of the Stamp Printing Bureau, and engraved by Bai Jin, an engraver from China Banknote Printing and Minting Corporation. Combined with the printing technology of Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory, they jointly present a set of exquisite stamp masterpieces to philatelists.