Scott No: 2141-44
Serial number: J148
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: April 20, 1988
Denomination: 58 fen
Designers: Wu Jiankun
Size of stamps: 31*38.5mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 50(5*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J148 "Establishment of Hainan Province" commemorative stamps were issued on April 20, 1988. The set consists of 4 stamps, printed by photogravure, with a stamp size of 31 × 38.5 mm, perforation gauge 11.5, and 50 stamps per sheet (10 × 5). Designed by Wu Jiankun and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory.

Theme of the Set

In April 1988, Hainan officially became a province and at the same time established the Hainan Special Economic Zone, the largest special economic zone in China. This was a major strategic measure in the course of reform and opening up and marked a brand-new stage of development for Hainan. This set selects four of Hainan's most representative landmark landscapes, using the outline of Hainan Island as a unified framework and pairing it with a seal carving, to record the historical milestone of Hainan's establishment as a province, showcase the island's unique tropical resources and its mountain, sea, and cultural scenery, and express the era's vision of opening to the outside world and developing and building the treasure island.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Wuzhi Mountain

The image uses Wuzhi Mountain as the distant view, paired with coconut groves, tropical farmland, and Li ethnic village dwellings. Wuzhi Mountain is the main peak of Hainan Island and a geographical symbol of Hainan, representing the mountain ecology of central Hainan and the rural appearance of Li ethnic settlements.

Wanquan River

The main subject of the design is the flowing Wanquan River, with coconut trees lining the banks and clear, rippling water. The Wanquan River is a famous river in Hainan, carrying red revolutionary history and representing the water-town scenery of Hainan.

Tianya Haijiao

The image depicts the huge rocks, beach, and waves of Tianya Haijiao, with reefs standing by the sea. It is a landmark scenic spot of Sanya and Hainan's long-famous coastal tourism symbol.

Luhuitou

The design draws on a classic Li ethnic folk legend, depicting a coastal mountain ridge shaped like a deer looking back, paired with tropical vegetation and telling the story of the divine deer transforming into a maiden, carrying the romantic cultural legends of Hainan's ethnic minorities.

Artistic Design Features

The set adopts a decorative painting style. Each stamp incorporates an eleven-sided outline of Hainan Island, and a red seal carved with "Establishment of Hainan Province" is uniformly placed in the upper right corner, showing an ingenious conception. Blue, green, and other tropical color schemes dominate, with a strong flavor of coconut breezes and sea charm. The four scenes correspond respectively to mountain, river, sea, and legend; the combinations of elements are concise and lively, with a distinct sense of the times, and the theme is intuitive and easy to understand.