Scott No: 3456
Serial number: 2005-21
Values in set: 3
Date of issue: October 1, 2005
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Liu Bingjiang
Size of stamps: 40*30 mm
Perforation: 12*12.5
Size of sheet: 166*156 mm
Sheet composition: 9(3 sets)
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Shenyang Post & Telecom Printing Works

This commemorative stamp set, 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, was issued on October 1, 2005. It consists of three stamps with a total face value of 2.40 yuan, designed by Liu Bingjiang, with Chen Yisi serving as the responsible editor, and printed by Shenyang Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory in Liaoning Province using offset printing. The three stamps are in a horizontal continuous format.

The Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region was officially established in 1955. Over the past half-century, through the joint efforts of all ethnic groups, this vast northwestern region has achieved remarkable progress in ethnic unity, economic development, cultural preservation, and agricultural and pastoral development. Xinjiang is home to the rich and diverse folk cultures of many ethnic groups, is renowned for its music and dance, and is blessed with abundant resources from its fertile oases. This stamp set features scenes of ethnic song and dance and bountiful harvests, presenting the harmonious and prosperous life of the people of Xinjiang, celebrating the region's transformative journey over the past fifty years, and conveying hopes for a prosperous and bright future for this frontier region.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Welcoming Song

The stamp depicts young musicians in colorful ethnic costumes, playing the rawap and beating drums in a joyful and melodious tune. Instrumental music and dance are a uniquely captivating feature of Xinjiang's traditional culture. The music conveys the joy of welcoming a new era, reflecting the vibrant spirit of the frontier.

Celebration Hymn

Dancers in flowing garments perform a lively and graceful mass dance, the classic Meshrep. Men and women gather to dance together in a warm and harmonious scene, symbolizing the unity and joy of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang as they celebrate this anniversary.

Harvest Song

Ethnic minority women in festive attire hold trays laden with fresh, abundant fruits—grapes and melons, rich and full. The bountiful harvests of Xinjiang's oasis agriculture, with its sweet and abundant produce, bear witness to the prosperity and stability of this fertile frontier region.

Artistic and Design Features

The horizontal format features a rich and vibrant decorative painting style, with intricate ethnic costume patterns and bright, saturated colors. The three scenes flow seamlessly, forming a complete and continuous celebration scroll. The offset printing provides vivid and bright colors. The stamps incorporate multiple anti-counterfeiting features, including security paper, security ink, shaped perforations, and fluorescent spray codes. The overall design is warm and festive, filled with the rich ethnic character of the Western Regions.

This stamp set is a commemorative issue on the theme of ethnic autonomous region anniversaries, suitable for thematic collections on ethnic culture and frontier development.