Scott No: 1774
Serial number: J77
Values in set: 1
Date of issue: March 1, 1982
Denomination: 8 fen
Designer: Huang Li
Size of stamps: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 50 (10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J77 "International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade" commemorative stamp was issued on March 1, 1982. The set consists of 1 stamp, printed by photogravure, designed by Huang Li, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory.

Theme of the Set

The United Nations General Assembly designated 1981–1990 as the "International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade," aimed at promoting global improvement of drinking water supply and sanitation conditions, reducing water-related diseases, and safeguarding public health. China actively responded to this UN initiative and issued this stamp for publicity, calling for attention to water source safety and improvement of human living sanitation conditions.

Stamp Design and Historical Background

Clean Water and Children

At the top of the design is printed the thematic text "International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade 1981–1990," and in the upper right corner is the special emblem of this activity. The emblem is composed of ten water droplets, echoing the ten-year action. The main subject of the design is two children raising their arms high and looking up at water droplets slowly falling from above; on the left, blue water ripples radiate outward, symbolizing clean water sources. The images of the children represent the general public, implying that everyone longs for clean and safe drinking water, and that water is the foundation of life and health.

Artistic Design Features

The design adopts a simple and fresh decorative painting style, with concise and soft lines and clean, transparent blue water-droplet elements. It directly expresses the theme of drinking water and sanitation, which concerns people's livelihood and health, through the images of children and water droplets. The meaning is intuitive and direct, and it is a highly distinctive commemorative stamp on a United Nations theme.