Scott No: 2805
Serial number: 1997-16
Values in set: 8
Date of issue: October 20,1997
Designers: Shi Sougling
Size:
50*30mm for Value 1,2,3,6,7,8
40*50mm for Value 4,5
Size of sheetlet: 190 * 150 mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 8
Printing process: gravure

The special stamp set Huangshan, catalog number 1997-16, was issued on October 20, 1997. It consists of eight stamps in miniature sheet format, produced using the photogravure process. Stamps (8-1), (8-2), (8-3), (8-6), (8-7), and (8-8) measure 50×30 mm, while (8-4) and (8-5) measure 40×50 mm. The perforation gauge is 11.5 degrees. The miniature sheet measures 190×150 mm, with a bridge in the center. The stamps were designed by Shi Songling and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works. This stamp set was issued to welcome the 22nd Universal Postal Union Congress and the China 1999 World Stamp Exhibition.

Huangshan is located in southern Anhui. It is a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site, renowned worldwide for its "Four Wonders": strange pines, grotesque rocks, seas of clouds, and hot springs. This is the second time the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued a Huangshan-themed stamp, following the 1963 Special 57 Huangshan Scenery stamps. The stamp set features eight classic landscapes of Huangshan, depicting strange peaks and seas of clouds in the style of Hui-style printmaking, showcasing the majestic and beautiful natural scenery of this "First Wonder Mountain Under Heaven" and highlighting the magnificent landscapes of the motherland.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Morning Glow at Huangshan

The image depicts morning light spreading across the mountains. The Welcoming Pine stands on the cliff edge, and Tiandu Peak floats in the sea of clouds in the distance. The Welcoming Pine is the symbol of Huangshan, with its vigorous ancient branches extending diagonally, welcoming guests from all directions. The morning glow gilds the mountains with warm gold, fully displaying the majestic atmosphere of Huangshan in the early morning.

West Sea Peaks

The West Sea is a core scenic area of Huangshan. In the image, countless sharp peaks stand in rows, with clouds and mist weaving through the gullies. The peaks rise and fall unevenly, and strange rocks appear and disappear in the sea of clouds, reflecting the deep and fantastical character of the West Sea gorge's peak forest.

Clouds Surging Around the Flying Rock

The main subject is the Flying Rock, a huge boulder standing on the mountain summit, supported by smaller rocks below, with clouds and mist surrounding it. The Flying Rock is a well-known strange rock of Huangshan. According to legend, it flew from beyond the heavens. Its unique shape makes it an iconic landscape of Huangshan.

Clouds Flooding the North Sea

The North Sea scenic area has a broad field of view. In the image, the sea of clouds churns, with peaks emerging above the clouds. Strange rocks and unusual pines are scattered across the mountains. The North Sea is an excellent place for viewing Huangshan's seas of clouds and sunrises, with flowing mist and ever-changing scenery.

Beauty Swallowing the Jade Screen

Yuping Peak is located in the Yuping Scenic Area. In the image, the peak stretches out, with green pines covering the cliffs. Yuping Peak has a strategically perilous location, and the Yuping Tower is situated here. It is a core stop for touring Huangshan, offering panoramic views of the beautiful mountains.

Dream Brush Producing Flowers

The image depicts Brush Peak, with a small pine growing from its tip, resembling a brush tip blooming with a flower. Brush Peak stands in the Sanhua Valley of the North Sea, a solitary peak rising upright, shaped like a writing brush. It is Huangshan's most poetic strange rock landscape.

Above the Clouds at Tiandu

Tiandu Peak is one of the three main peaks of Huangshan, steep and precipitous. In the image, Tiandu towers high, piercing the clouds, with steep cliffs and clouds and mist winding around the mountainside, fully displaying its majestic and precipitous momentum.

Penglai Fairy Islands

The image shows three sharp peaks standing side by side in the sea of clouds, with mist flowing over their bases, as if they were immortal islands on the sea. The Penglai Three Islands are located in the East Sea Scenic Area. When the sea of clouds rises, the three peaks resemble ethereal fairy islands, with a serene and ethereal artistic conception.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set absorbs the essence of Hui-style printmaking, with concise lines and rich layers. Horizontal and vertical stamp formats alternate, with the eight scenes connected, presenting the scenery of different areas of Huangshan in sequence. The miniature sheet has a bridge in the center printed with the theme text and the stamp exhibition emblem, bringing the eight stamps together. The photogravure printing is delicate, accurately expressing the flowing sense of clouds and mist and the texture of rocks and stones, recreating the ever-changing landscape artistic conception of Huangshan's seas of clouds and strange peaks on stamps.