Scott No: -
Serial number: 2025-15
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: August 15th, 2025
Denomination: 400 fen
Designer: Yang Zhiying, Xu Zhe
Size of stamps: 33 * 44 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition: 10
Size of sheet: 129 * 211 mm
Printing process: Offset + Engraving
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 4 special stamps themed "Ancient and Famous Trees" on August 15, 2025. The stamps are titled: Ginkgo biloba at Dinglin Temple (Shandong), Cupressus funebris at Cuiyun Corridor (Sichuan), Sophora japonica at Jinci Temple (Shanxi), and Carpinus putoensis on Putuo Mountain (Zhejiang). The total face value of the complete set is 4.00 yuan, with a planned issuance quantity of 4.7 million sets.

Ancient and famous trees carry the long history and splendid culture of Chinese civilization, embody the nostalgia of the general public, and preserve high-quality biological genes. As living fossils and witnesses to history, they bear the changes of time and space, contain the memories of civilization, and are hailed as "green national treasures" and "living cultural relics". This set of stamps showcases four precious ancient and famous trees of different species.

Ginkgo biloba at Dinglin Temple (Shandong)

Located at Dinglin Temple on Fulai Mountain, Juxian County, Rizhao City, Shandong Province, this ginkgo tree is approximately 4,000 years old and 26.7 meters tall, known as a "living fossil" in the plant kingdom. The best viewing period is from late October to mid-November each year. In 1982, UNESCO broadcast close-up footage of the tree worldwide, making it renowned at home and abroad. It was selected into the national list of "100 Most Beautiful Ancient Trees" in 2023.

Cupressus funebris at Cuiyun Corridor (Sichuan)

Situated in the Cuiyun Corridor Scenic Area of the ancient Jinniu Road (a section of the Shu Road) in Guangyuan, Sichuan Province, this cypress tree is about 2,300 years old and 27 meters tall. Its unique feature is that it "looks like a pine from a distance but a cypress up close". Currently, it is the only known specimen of its kind in the world. It has been shortlisted for the "Most Beautiful Ancient Trees in China" list and was once rated as one of Sichuan Province’s "Top Ten Tree Kings". The "Ancient Cypress Grove at Cuiyun Corridor of Shu Road in Sichuan" where it is located has been included in the national list of "100 Most Beautiful Ancient Tree Groves".

Sophora japonica at Jinci Temple (Shanxi)

Located in Jinci Museum, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province, this pagoda tree was planted during the Sui Dynasty, with an age of approximately 1,400 years and a height of 18 meters. With a long history, the ancient tree remains vibrant and lush, casting a broad shade. It is currently the oldest, most majestic, sturdiest, and most flourishing ancient pagoda tree in Jinci Temple, serving as a prominent natural landscape of the temple.

Carpinus putoensis on Putuo Mountain (Zhejiang)

Found at Huiji Temple in the Putuo Mountain Scenic Area, Zhoushan City, Zhejiang Province, this tree is about 250 years old and 15 meters tall. It is an endemic species in China, and only one wild individual survives globally. Classified as a National Class I Key Protected Wild Plant and listed as Critically Endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), it is known as the "Only Child of the Earth". When the Tiangong-1 target spacecraft was launched in 2011, Carpinus putoensis was among the 4 endemic Chinese tree species selected for space breeding experiments.

This set of stamps adopts the "offset printing + engraving" process, featuring exquisite details, rich layers, vigorous and sturdy shapes, and elegant and beautiful colors. The main content is crafted using engraving techniques: the outlines, branches, leaves, and other details of the trees are depicted with three-dimensional engraved lines that create a sense of relief. Variations in line thickness bring out the layering and three-dimensionality of the ancient trees. The dense and well-arranged engraved lines are complemented by appropriately shaded offset printing colors, forming a harmonious combination that highlights the primitive simplicity, profoundness, and vitality of the ancient and famous trees.

The set of stamps is designed by Yang Zhiying and Xu Zhe, edited by Wang Jing, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Co., Ltd. using the offset and engraving combination process.