Scott Number: -
Serial number: 2010-3
Values in set: 4 + 1
Denomination: 620 fen + 600 fen
Date of issue: January 21, 2010
Size of stamp: 50 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13.5 * 13
Sheet composition: 12
Size of Sheet: 190 * 174 mm
Size of S/S: 128 * 102 mm
Size of S/S stamp: 30 * 75 mm
Printing process: photogravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

On January 21, 2010, the special stamp "Shanghai Expo Park" (catalog number 2010-3) was officially issued, marking the 100-day countdown to the Shanghai World Expo. The set consists of four stamps with face values of 0.80 yuan, 1.20 yuan, 1.20 yuan, and 3.00 yuan respectively, for a total face value of 6.20 yuan, with a souvenir sheet (face value 6 yuan) issued concurrently. The stamps were designed by Li Zhihong and printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory using offset printing.

The stamps focus on four permanent core venues of the Shanghai Expo Park, including the "One Axis and Four Pavilions," with the souvenir sheet featuring the Expo Axis. The theme of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo was "Better City, Better Life." The four buildings are permanent landmarks that were retained after the Expo. The stamp set presents the iconic modern architecture of the Expo Park to the public in advance, reflecting innovative architectural concepts and the blending of diverse cultures, commemorating the first comprehensive world expo held in China, and conveying the Expo spirit of innovation, integration, and sustainable development.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background:

Expo Center

Image: The main building of the Expo Center, with urban green landscapes in the background.
History: The Expo Center served as the operations command center, press center, and venue for celebrations and forums during the Expo, hosting major conferences and diplomatic functions, serving as the core venue for administrative activities.
Significance: The core comprehensive service building of the Expo Park.

China Pavilion

Image: The China National Pavilion, shaped as the "Crown of the East," with its iconic red color.
History: The China Pavilion draws from traditional dougong architectural culture and is the most representative landmark of the Expo, showcasing China's urban development concepts and civilization.
Significance: The iconic building of the Shanghai World Expo and a window for displaying Chinese culture to the world.

Expo Performance Center

Image: The flying saucer-shaped Expo Performance Center, built by the water with reflections enhancing its silhouette.
History: The Performance Center features a flexible multi-functional stage, hosting various cultural performances and international artistic exchange events during the Expo.
Significance: The main venue for cultural and artistic exchange in the Expo Park.

Theme Pavilion

Image: The large rectangular Theme Pavilion complex with a simple, modern curtain wall structure.
History: The Theme Pavilion housed the core thematic exhibitions of the Expo, with multiple pavilions focusing on urban development and the relationship between humanity and nature.
Significance: The exhibition space interpreting the core concepts of the Expo.

Souvenir Sheet: Expo Axis

Image: A bird's-eye view of the Expo Axis's large tension membrane长廊, running north-south through the park.
History: The Expo Axis was the main entrance and pedestrian thoroughfare of the park, connecting the four permanent venues to form the complete "One Axis and Four Pavilions" layout.
Significance: The transportation and landscape link of the Expo Park's overall spatial layout.

Artistic and Design Features:

Format: Uniform horizontal stamp format with consistent architectural elevation compositions, creating a neat and coordinated visual system.
Background: Each stamp features a light "EXPO 2010" watermark, reinforcing the Expo theme.
Color: Fresh and transparent tones, reflecting the simple and grand aesthetic of modern public architecture.
Layout: The four stamps present individual venues, while the souvenir sheet uses the transportation axis to connect them, forming a comprehensive narrative structure.

This stamp set is the first venue-themed issue in the Shanghai World Expo series, complementing the later 2010-9 "Inauguration of the Shanghai World Expo" stamp. The subject matter covers world expositions, modern architecture, major international events, and Shanghai regional culture. Available in multiple formats including stamp set, miniature sheet, and souvenir sheet, along with a scarce four-in-one souvenir sheet variation, it is an important modern stamp for World Expo and modern architecture thematic collections.