Scott No: -
Serial number: 2022-11
Values in set: 5
Date of issue: June 1st, 2022
Denomination: 520 fen
Designer: The Central Academy of Fine Arts
Size of stamps: 40 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 10 (2 Sets)
Size of sheet: 234 * 163 mm
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post scheduled the issuance of a set of 5 special stamps themed Growing Up with My Motherland on June 1, 2022. The five stamps are respectively titled Loving the Motherland, Studying Diligently, Upholding Science, Strengthening Physique and Respecting Labor. The total face value of the set is 5.20 yuan, with a planned circulation of 6.1 million sets.

Children are the flowers of the motherland and the future of the nation. A strong youth makes a strong nation, and progress of the youth brings progress to the nation. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that contemporary Chinese children are not only participants in and witnesses to the realization of the First Centenary Goal, but also a new force for achieving the Second Centenary Goal and building a great modern socialist country. He hoped that all children would study diligently to acquire knowledge, strengthen their ideals and beliefs, temper their strong will, build up a robust physique, and always be ready to realize the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

Adolescence is a critical period for personal growth like the stage when crops joint and ear, requiring meticulous guidance and cultivation. For a long time, the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation has focused on the nation's future and the development of children's causes, consistently striving to build platforms for the healthy growth of young people. Since 2019, it has launched the themed activity "Growing Up with My Motherland" every year around International Children's Day. In an imperceptible and entertaining way that integrates education, these activities inspire children to connect their personal growth with the motherland's development, foster virtue through education, pass on the red gene, and cultivate a profound patriotic sentiment.

Adhering to the creative concept of integrating political nature, contemporary characteristics and artistic value, the special stamp set Growing Up with My Motherland was jointly planned with the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation. It was co-created by outstanding artists from the Central Academy of Fine Arts, namely Kang Lei, Wang Zikun, Feng Xu, Kong Liang and Liu Qing, and designed by Hang Hai. Each of the five stamps adopts a distinct artistic form: oil painting, traditional Chinese painting, digital painting, printmaking and sculpture. Decorated with floral elements such as anthuriums (also named Andoliheng flowers as designated by Soong Ching Ling) and set against backgrounds of five different colors corresponding to the five designs, the stamps not only reflect diverse artistic styles but also achieve an overall harmonious unity.

The first stamp Loving the Motherland, presented as an oil painting, depicts children saluting the national flag. The blooming sunflowers symbolize the vibrant vitality and sincere patriotic feelings of the young generation. The second stamp Studying Diligently portrays Young Pioneers engrossed in reading amid piles of books. With models of the homegrown COMAC C919 airliner and scientific symbols in the background, it reflects the rapid development of the motherland in the new era. The third stamp Upholding Science, created via digital painting, shows children wandering in space in spacesuits. Featuring China Space Station and Shenzhou spacecraft as background elements, it signifies keeping pace with the frontier of the motherland's scientific and technological progress, embracing science and looking forward to the future. The fourth stamp Strengthening Physique adopts printmaking to present children's agile figures in ice and snow sports. The National Speed Skating Oval, blue and white tones and snowflake patterns in the background echo the recently concluded Beijing Winter Olympics perfectly. The fifth stamp Respecting Labor is sculptural in style, depicting two Young Pioneers planting trees in spring. A bucket of water and a shovel of soil embody their efforts to nurture beautiful dreams and spread green hopes. The forest farm and Fuxing bullet trains in the background symbolize the joint strides toward building a beautiful China with lucid waters and lush mountains.

This set of stamps was printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Co., Ltd. using the photogravure process. The stamps boast saturated and bright colors. The exclusive gold ink makes the pattern of Tiananmen shine with a golden luster, while the pearlescent finish enhances the texture of the images. These artistic treatments also symbolize that children are thriving under the care of the Party in the new era.