Scott No: 3363-5
Serial number: 2004-11
Values in set: 3
Denomination: 360 fen
Date of issue: June 1, 2004
Designer: Li Wei
Size of stamps: 30*40 mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition:
20 for Sheet I,
6 for Sheet II
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

This special stamp set, Sima Guang Smashes the Vat, was issued on June 1, 2004. It consists of three stamps with a total face value of 2.40 yuan, designed by Li Jianguo, with Tong Liying serving as the responsible editor, and printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory using offset printing. A stamp booklet was also issued.

"Sima Guang Smashes the Vat" is a well-known ancient Chinese children's wisdom story. It tells how the young Sima Guang, calmly and cleverly, broke a large water vat to save a friend who had fallen in and was drowning. This story has been passed down for a thousand years, inspiring children to think calmly and act bravely in emergencies. This stamp set presents the story in a three-part comic strip format, issued on Children's Day, conveying the wisdom and virtue of calmness in crisis.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Falling In

In a courtyard, children are playing, and one falls into a large water vat. The other children panic and scatter, as the crisis unfolds, setting the stage for the tense beginning of the story.

Rescue

While the other children panic, the young Sima Guang remains calm and thoughtful. He focuses on the vat, picks up a stone, and decides to break the vat to save his friend.

Saved

Sima Guang throws the stone at the vat, breaking it and releasing the water. The trapped child is saved, and the other children are overjoyed, highlighting the young hero's wisdom and courage.

Artistic and Design Features

The vertical comic-style composition uses a delicate and soft illustration style, with ancient courtyard scenes that vividly recreate the charm of classical childhood stories. The contrasting expressions of the figures are clearly depicted. The offset printing provides warm and rich colors. The stamps incorporate multiple anti-counterfeiting features, including security paper, security ink, and fluorescent spray codes. The three stamps flow seamlessly, presenting a complete and coherent narrative. The stamp booklet format is particularly suitable for children's thematic collections.

This stamp set is a special issue on the theme of ancient wisdom stories, suitable for thematic collections on children's fables and historical anecdotes.