Scott No: -
Serial number: 2016-26
Values in set: 6
Date of issue: Sept 10, 2016
Denomination: 780 fen
Designer: He Jie, Zhou Yue
Size of stamps: 30 * 40 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition: 20
Value 1, 2 in Sheet I;
Value 3, 4 in Sheet II;
Value 5, 6 in Sheet III
Size of sheet: 146 * 240 mm
Size of M/S: 202 * 94 mm
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Works

On September 10, 2016, China Post issued a set of six special stamps entitled Maritime Silk Road, together with one souvenir sheet.

Over 2,000 years ago, hardworking and courageous peoples across the Eurasian continent blazed multiple trade and cultural exchange routes linking major civilizations of Asia, Europe and Africa, collectively known to later generations as the "Silk Road". In September and October 2013, during state visits to Central and Southeast Asian countries, Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China, put forward two major initiatives successively: jointly building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. Centered on policy coordination, facilities connectivity, unimpeded trade, financial integration and people-to-people bonds, this vision will usher in a brighter future for shared economic and social development of all countries along the routes.

Stamp Designs

1. Policy Coordination
The main motifs include a globe, doves of peace, a rostrum and colorful national flags symbolizing all nations, set against the Parthenon in Greece and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The design stands for friendship, peace and exchanges.

2. Facilities Connectivity
The core imagery covers energy installations for natural gas, nuclear power and petroleum, as well as high-speed passenger and freight trains, representing two core sectors: energy and transportation. The backdrop features the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Turkey and Burj Al Arab in Dubai.

3. Unimpeded Trade
Key elements consist of freight trucks, forklifts, an airport control tower and a cable-stayed bridge. In the background stand the Egyptian Pyramids and the Great Sphinx, plus Cairo’s Mogamma Building.

4. Financial Integration
The central composition features the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China, modern urban clusters, currency symbols and stock market bar charts, with the Taj Mahal in India and the Royal Twin Towers residential complex in Mumbai as the background.

5. People-to-People Bonds
Main visual elements include DNA and molecular structures, bursting fireworks, spiraling film reels, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, the National Art Museum of China, sculptures embodying friendly exchanges, and dancing crowds from Asian, European and African nations along the Maritime Silk Road, symbolizing cultural, scientific and technological interactions. The background showcases Wat Benchamabophit in Thailand and the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

6. Maritime Transportation
Central motifs are offshore drilling platforms, cruise ships and container cargo vessels, paired with the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the East and West Pagodas in Quanzhou and the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai.

Today, the development of the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road not only carries forward the prosperous maritime cooperation of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, but also endows it with new connotations for the times. It evolves into a win-win pathway for cooperation that fosters common development and shared prosperity, as well as a path of peace and friendship that deepens mutual understanding, trust and all-round exchanges.

The stamp design integrates world-famous historical relics, modern landmark buildings and urban complexes from regions along the Maritime Silk Road. Fleets of ships and aircraft in transit vividly depict the close and bustling exchanges between countries on the routes. The stamps capture the time-honored, enduring legacy of the Maritime Silk Road and its vibrant, flourishing contemporary landscape.