Scott No: -
Serial number: 2021-28
Values in set: 8
Date of issue: December 4, 2021
Denomination: 910 fen
Designer: Zeng Xiaolian
Size of stamps: 30 * 40 mm
Perforation: 13.5 * 13
Sheet composition: 8 (one set)
Sheet Size: 150 * 190 mm
Printing process: Offset + Engraving
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post scheduled the issuance of a set of special stamps titled "National Key Protected Wild Animals (Class I) (III)" on December 3, 2021. The set contains 8 stamps, with designs featuring the following animals respectively: Chinese Grouse, Yellow-breasted Bunting, Green Peafowl, Chinese Pangolin, Hainan Gibbon, Chinese Crocodile Lizard, Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin (Chinese white variant), and Green Sea Turtle. The total face value of the full set is 9.10 yuan, and the planned circulation is 6.2 million sets. This is the third installment of the "National Key Protected Wild Animals (Class I)" stamp series, following the first two sets released in 2000 and 2001.

China is one of the countries with the richest diversity of wild animal species in the world. To strengthen the rescue and protection of rare and endangered wild animals, China first issued the National Key Protected Wild Animals List (hereinafter referred to as the "List") in January 1989. The List has played a positive role in enhancing species rescue and protection, cracking down on illegal hunting and trade, and raising public awareness of conservation. In February 2021, with the approval of the State Council, the newly revised List was officially released to the public. The new List includes 980 species and 8 taxonomic groups of wild animals, among which 234 species and 1 group are under Class I national protection, and 746 species and 7 groups are under Class II national protection.

The stamp set was designed by Zeng Xiaolian, using scientific illustration techniques. The animal figures feature rigorous anatomical structures, delicate brushwork, and bright, clear colors.

Stamp 1 ("Chinese Grouse"): A unique grouse species endemic to China, distributed only in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan and other provinces of China.

Stamp 2 ("Yellow-breasted Bunting"): Also known as the Rice Bird. Due to a sharp population decline caused by large-scale hunting, it has been classified as a critically endangered species and added to the list of Class I national protected animals.

Stamp 3 ("Green Peafowl"): Inhabits tropical and subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and mixed forests below 2,000 meters above sea level. In China, it is only distributed in Yunnan Province, with a population of just a few hundred.

Stamp 4 ("Chinese Pangolin"): A mammal belonging to the order Pholidota and family Manidae. Its population has dropped significantly since the 1980s, making it a critically endangered species. It has been newly added to the list of Class I national protected animals.

Stamp 5 ("Hainan Gibbon"): An endemic species in China and a flagship species of the tropical rainforest ecosystem in Hainan. Currently, there are only 35 individuals in 5 groups worldwide.

Stamp 6 ("Chinese Crocodile Lizard"): Mainly distributed in eastern Guangxi and northern Guangdong. It gets its name from its lizard-like head, cylindrical body, and flattened tail similar to that of a crocodile. The global population is approximately 1,200 individuals.

Stamp 7 ("Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin"): Mainly distributed in the western Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean, and commonly seen in the coastal waters of southeastern China. It is known as the "Mermaid" and "Giant Panda of the Sea".

Stamp 8 ("Green Sea Turtle"): One of the larger turtle species, with a body weight of over 100 kilograms. It mainly feeds on seagrass and seaweed, and gets its name from the pale green color of its body fat, which comes from the chlorophyll in its food.

The border decoration of the stamps depicts three other Class I national protected wild animals: Przewalski's Horse, Scaly-sided Merganser, and Giant Clam. These illustrations are created using traditional Chinese painting techniques, adding unique artistic charm to the overall design.

The stamp set was printed by Beijing Stamp Factory Co., Ltd., using a combined printing process of offset printing, flexography, and engraving. The engraved lines are delicate and vivid, with each individual stamp exquisitely crafted and the entire sheet presenting a harmonious unity, fully restoring the detailed expressions of the wild animals. Two stamps—"Green Peafowl" and "Green Sea Turtle"—adopt a special green photochromic flexographic process. Under sunlight, viewers can see the beautiful color changes of the Green Peafowl's plumage and the colorful photochromic effect of the underwater world where the Green Sea Turtle lives.

The stamps feature double special-shaped perforations in the shapes of "mountain" and "water", implying "mountains and waters are connected" and "protecting the homeland of mountains and waters is essential to protecting wild animals". In addition, the border decoration uses colorless red fluorescent ink, which presents another vibrant image when viewed under a black light.