Scott No: -
Serial number: 2019-18
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: August 10, 2019
Denomination: 240 fen
Designer: Shao Lichen, Yu Yong
Size of stamps: 50 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 16 (8 Sets)
Sheet Size: 240 * 150 mm
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Henan Provincal Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 2 commemorative stamps themed "The 65th Anniversary of the Completion and Opening of Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet Highways" on August 10, 2019. The two stamps are titled Sichuan-Tibet Highway and Qinghai-Tibet Highway respectively, with a total face value of 2 yuan for the complete set.

The Sichuan-Tibet Highway starts from Chengdu in the east, and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway begins from Xining in the north. Both highways were opened to traffic to Lhasa on December 25, 1954, with a total length of 4,360 kilometers. The completion and opening of the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet Highways are major achievements of New China under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Back then, more than 100,000 military personnel and civilians worked together in extremely harsh conditions, creating a miracle in the history of world highways and ending the history of Tibet having no highways. During the construction and maintenance of the highways, the "Two Highways Spirit" was formed and carried forward—featuring no fear of hardship or death, tenacious struggle and willingness to be roadbed stones, as well as unity between military and civilians and among all ethnic groups.

This set of stamps adopts the technique of computer illustration.

The first stamp showcases the Xingkang Extra Large Bridge, known as the "First Bridge of the Sichuan-Tibet Highway". Next to the bridge is a sculpture of highway maintenance workers, symbolizing that maintenance workers strive bravely under extremely difficult conditions, practice the "Two Highways Spirit" with concrete actions, and continuously build new monuments in transportation construction.

The second stamp centers on the stone tablet of "the No.1 Highway Maintenance Station in the World". Beside it are patterns such as the stone tablet of Tanggula Mountain Pass and Tibetan antelopes. Together with the busy flow of vehicles, it highlights that generations of highway workers inherit the fine traditions of the older generation, continue to carry forward the "Two Highways Spirit", create miracles on the "Roof of the World", and write a new chapter in building a country with strong transportation.

The stamps are printed using the offset printing process with partial embossing. Firstly, through fluorescent ink technology, the Sichuan-Tibet and Qinghai-Tibet Highways on the stamps emit red fluorescence under ultraviolet light, symbolizing the inheritance of the "Two Highways Spirit". Secondly, the relief embossing process is used to highlight the sculpture of maintenance workers and the stone tablet of "the No.1 Highway Maintenance Station in the World", demonstrating the unyielding spirit and will of maintenance workers and making the stamp patterns more visually striking.

This set of stamps is designed by Shao Lichen and Yu Yong, and printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory.