Scott No: 2977-78
Serial number: 1999-14
Values in set: 2
Denomination: 160fen
Date of issue: 5 October 1999
Designers: Li Defu & An Zhe(DPRK)
Size: 50*30mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 16
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The special stamp set Mount Lu and Mount Kumgang was issued on October 5, 1999. It consists of two stamps with a total face value of 1.60 yuan. It was jointly designed by Li Defu of China and An Chol of the DPRK and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works using the photogravure process. It is a special stamp set jointly issued by China and the DPRK. Mount Lu and Mount Kumgang are representative famous mountains of China and the DPRK, respectively. This stamp set uses the mountains and waters of the two countries as a medium to bear witness to the traditional friendship between China and the DPRK, which are linked by mountains and rivers.

China and the DPRK are as close as lips and teeth, linked by mountains and rivers. Mount Lu is a World Cultural Landscape Heritage site in China, renowned for its unsurpassed beauty. Mount Kumgang is known as the first mountain of the DPRK, famous for its strange peaks and flying waterfalls. The stamp set features classic landscapes of the two famous mountains: one showing the strange peaks and waterfalls of Mount Kumgang in the DPRK, and the other depicting the sea of clouds at Hanpokou on Mount Lu in China. It condenses the beautiful mountains and rivers of both countries into stamps, conveying the friendly sentiments between the peoples of the two countries through the scenery of famous mountains.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Mount Kumgang

The stamp shows the scenery of Mount Kumgang in the DPRK, with jagged granite peaks standing in continuous rows. A flying waterfall cascades down from the cliff, and clouds and mist swirl in the valley. Mount Kumgang is located in the northern section of the Taebaek Mountains in Gangwon Province, DPRK. It is famous for its strange rocks, peaks, flowing springs, and seas of clouds. It is divided into Inner Kumgang, Outer Kumgang, and Sea Kumgang and is a well-known scenic spot in the DPRK.

Mount Lu

The stamp depicts the scenery of Hanpokou on Mount Lu in Jiangxi. The Hanpo Pavilion stands on the summit, with a sea of clouds churning below the layered mountains, and Poyang Lake faintly visible in the distance. Mount Lu has long been praised as "the most beautiful mountain under heaven." It is a World Cultural Landscape Heritage site. Hanpokou is a landmark scenic spot on Mount Lu, offering views of Poyang Lake, seas of clouds, and sunrises, with a profound cultural and natural heritage.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses the expressive form of Chinese landscape painting. The brushwork is vigorous, and the artistic conception is distant. The two famous mountains contrast majesty and beauty, with a coordinated and unified style. The photogravure printing provides rich color layers, effectively reproducing the texture of the mountains and the interplay of solid and void in the clouds and mist. The two stamps echo each other, placing the iconic landscapes of China and the DPRK side by side. It is a classic modern special stamp in the category of jointly issued scenery stamps.