Scott No: -
Serial number: 2016-33
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: Dec 2, 2016
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Xia Jingqiu, Yu Xue
Size of stamps: 30 * 50 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
8 for Sheet II (4 Sets)
Size of sheet:
150 * 240 mm for Sheet I;
146 * 186 mm for Sheet II
Size of S/S: 120 * 80 mm
Size of S/S stamp: 59 * 40 mm
Perforation of S/S: 13 * 13.5
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Liaoning Provincal Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post issued a set of two commemorative stamps and one souvenir sheet for the "China 2016 Asian International Stamp Exhibition" on December 2, 2016.

The China 2016 Asian International Stamp Exhibition was held in Nanning, Guangxi, from December 2 to 6, 2016. It marked the fourth time the Asian Stamp Exhibition has been held in Mainland China and the first time it has been held in a Chinese ethnic minority region. The exhibition emblem cleverly combines two iconic images: Nanning's city flower, the hibiscus, and the grand dome of the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center, symbolizing beauty and friendship. The mascot, "Sachet Mail Doll," is inspired by the sachet, a distinctive item of Guangxi's ethnic culture, conveying the spirit of spreading philately and facilitating cultural exchange through stamp collecting. The exhibition played a significant role in promoting the culture of stamp collecting and fostering cultural exchange and cooperation between China and other Asian countries and regions.

The first stamp features Zhuang brocade, a representative handicraft of Guangxi. With its vivid patterns and dazzling colors, Zhuang brocade embodies the Zhuang people's aspirations for a better life and is a cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. The second stamp features the sachet, a mascot of the Zhuang people in Guangxi. It serves as a cultural messenger conveying love, family affection, and friendship, and has become a cultural symbol for "helping the world understand Guangxi." The souvenir sheet features a national first-class cultural relic—the Han Dynasty bronze phoenix lamp with feather patterns, housed in the Guangxi Museum. This lamp is a masterpiece of Han Dynasty bronze artistry and a typical artifact representing the Beibu Gulf culture and the Maritime Silk Road culture.

Through distinctive stamp design language, this set integrates the ethnic characteristics and rich history and culture of the Guangxi region. By introducing golden line drawings as supplementary graphics treated in a unified style, and employing a modern composition, the set unifies three different stylistic elements—the flat Zhuang brocade, the three-dimensional sachet, and the ancient phoenix lamp—into a cohesive collection.