Scott No: -
Serial number: 2022-5
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: February 14th, 2022
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Ma Lihang
Size of stamps: 44 * 33 mm
Perforation: 13 * 13.5
Sheet composition: 10
Sheet Size: 200 * 156 mm
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

2022 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the People's Republic of China and the United Mexican States. China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 2 commemorative stamps themed "The 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations Between China and Mexico" on February 14, 2022. The stamp designs are titled "Observatory Platform" and "El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkán)" respectively. The total face value of the full set is 2.40 yuan, with a planned circulation of 6.7 million sets.

The Observatory Platform is located in Gaocheng Town, Dengfeng City, Henan Province. Founded in the early Yuan Dynasty under the leadership of astronomer Guo Shoujing, it is the oldest well-preserved astronomical observatory extant in China. It holds high value in the history of world astronomy and architecture, demonstrating the outstanding achievements of ancient Chinese scientists in astronomy. In 2010, the "Center of the World" historical building complex in Dengfeng, which includes the Observatory Platform, was inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage List.

El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkán) is situated in the northern part of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. As one of the important relics of the ancient Mayan civilization in Mexico, it is regarded as a masterpiece of Mayan architecture. In Mayan culture, Kukulkán is revered as the incarnation of the sun, i.e., the Sun God. In 1988, the ancient city of Chichén Itzá, with El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkán) as its iconic structure, was listed as a World Cultural Heritage site.

The stamp designs are based on photographic works. The first stamp, "Observatory Platform", places the platform at the center of the image, accompanied by symbolic patterns representing "all directions" to echo the concept of "the center of the world". The second stamp, "El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkán)", adopts a composition consistent with the first one, with background patterns symbolizing the sun. The artistic presentation of the Observatory Platform and El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkán) on the jointly issued stamps represents a dialogue spanning millennia between the important cultural heritages of China and Mexico – two countries with long histories, allowing the Chinese civilization and the Mayan civilization to shine together on the small space of stamps.

This set of stamps was designed by Ma Lihang and printed by Beijing Stamp Factory Co., Ltd. using gravure printing technology. Aligned with the theme of the stamps, the text on the first stamp ("Observatory Platform") uses special bright silver ink. Colorless white fluorescent ink is applied to the background halos and stars to highlight the night scene effect, and star-shaped special perforations are also used. For the second stamp ("El Castillo (Pyramid of Kukulkán)"), the text uses special bright gold ink, and colorless orange fluorescent ink is used for the background rays to emphasize the effect of the sun's radiance, along with sun-shaped special perforations.