Scott No: 2491-94
Serial number: 1994-4
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: April 21 , 1994
Designers: Meng Sihui

Size: 40*27mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 28
Printing process: offset

The special stamp set Desert Afforestation, catalog number 1994-4, was issued on April 21, 1994. It consists of four stamps, produced using offset printing. The stamps measure 40×27 mm, with a perforation gauge of 11 degrees. Each sheet contains 28 stamps. The stamps were designed by Meng Sihui and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works.

Thematic Focus of the Set

This is an environmental protection-themed stamp set reflecting China's desert control efforts and ecological governance achievements. The images are arranged in a progressive sequence: the original desert landscape, sand-tolerant plants taking root, forest growth, and the formation of an oasis. It presents the complete process of a desert gradually transforming from barren yellow sand into vibrant green land, promotes the importance of desert prevention and control and improving the desert ecology, and documents China's exploration and practice in desertification control in the northwest.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Vast Sea of Sand

The image shows rolling yellow sand dunes. In the vast desert, only a tiny seedling stands upright. It intuitively presents the barren and empty appearance of the original desert, highlighting the harsh natural environment that desertification control must confront. It represents the starting point of desert control work.

Flowers Blooming on the Sand

The image depicts clusters of drought-tolerant sand plants blooming with red flowers on the dunes, tenaciously taking root and surviving in the sand. It reflects the role of pioneer plants in sand areas in fixing sand and conserving soil, symbolizing the vitality that sprouts in the desert. It is the first step of desert afforestation.

A Forest of Populus Euphratica

The image depicts stands of Populus euphratica (desert poplar) standing on the sandy plain. Populus euphratica is drought-tolerant and wind-sand resistant, a landmark native tree species in desert areas. It represents the achievements of large-scale tree planting for sand fixation, with forests gradually taking shape and wind and sand being effectively curbed.

Desert Oasis

The image presents an oasis scene among the dunes with lush water and grass and continuous vegetation. The vegetation is verdant, dotted with wildflowers. It presents the gratifying result of desert transforming into a livable oasis after sustained governance, expressing the beautiful vision of "people advancing and the desert retreating, and the land reviving."

Artistic and Design Features

The set uses a decorative painting style, with soft color transitions. Changes in yellow, brown, and green tones clearly distinguish the transformation from desert to oasis. The four images progress layer by layer with a coherent narrative. The forms are simple and freehand, minimizing complex details. Color blocks are used to express the flowing sense of the dunes. It is easy to understand and full of poetry, using progressive visual narrative to interpret the long-term and great ecological project of desert control and afforestation.