Scott No: -
Serial number: 2020-14
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: September 26, 2020
Denomination: 480 fen
Designer: Xia Jingqiu
Size of stamps:
38 * 50 mm for Value 1, 4;
50 * 38 mm for Value 2, 3
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 12
Size of sheet: 190 * 230 mm
Size of S/S: 150 * 84 mm
Size of S/S stamp: 81 * 62 mm
S/S Perforation: 13.5
Printing process:
Stamp: Photogravure + Offset
S/S: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Works

China Post will issue a set of four special stamps titled "Mogao Grottoes" and one souvenir sheet on September 26, 2020. The stamps are named: "Northern Wei: Seated Shakyamuni in Meditation," "Northern Wei: Flying Apsaras in Relief Sculpture," "Western Wei: Statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas," and "Late Tang: Seated Bodhisattva." The souvenir sheet is named: "High Tang: Shakyamuni Buddha with Attendants." The total face value of the set is 10.80 yuan. The planned issuance quantities are 7.9 million sets for the stamps and 6.2 million sheets for the souvenir sheet.

The Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, commonly known as the "Caves of the Thousand Buddhas," are located at the western end of the Hexi Corridor. Their construction began during the Former Qin period of the Sixteen Kingdoms era. They represent a profound and comprehensive artistic hall composed of architecture, painting, and sculpture, forming the world's largest and best-preserved treasury of Buddhist art, renowned as the "Pearl of Oriental Art." They were listed among the first group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level in 1961 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

The polychrome sculptures in the Mogao Grottoes primarily depict Buddhist figures and scenes from their spiritual practice and parinirvana.

The first stamp, "Northern Wei: Seated Shakyamuni in Meditation," features gauze-like drapery clinging to the body, employing the technique historically described as "Cao's garments emerging from water."

The second stamp, "Northern Wei: Flying Apsaras in Relief Sculpture," is a complete replication of Central Plains-style flying apsaras. The surface color is a repainting from the Song Dynasty, and it is the only existing sculpture of flying apsaras in the Mogao Grottoes.

The third stamp, "Western Wei: Statues of Buddha and Bodhisattvas," features a central pillar, a characteristic of early Chinese cave temples, including Mogao. This form imitates the stupa in Indian cave temples (stupa meaning "pagoda") and represents the initial form of Buddhist art's introduction to China.

The fourth stamp, "Late Tang: Seated Bodhisattva," conveys a solemn, stone-carving-like sense of gravity.

The souvenir sheet, "High Tang: Shakyamuni Buddha with Attendants," depicts one of the most representative sculptures in the Mogao Grottoes. This group of statues perfectly balances form and spirit, with expressions rendered just right.

The design of this stamp set focuses on conveying the profound historical and cultural essence of the Mogao Grottoes, aiming for a dignified, grand, and visually striking effect. Exploring how to express traditional Chinese cultural core through modern compositional forms is the primary design objective. The flattened and patterned visual effect of the stamp surfaces aligns more closely with the traditional aesthetic characteristics of Chinese painting, imbuing the stamps with a strong Chinese sensibility. In terms of design language, the clever use of natural forms created by damage and restoration also subtly hints at the millennia of weathering endured by the Mogao Grottoes.

The stamp set was designed by Xia Jingqiu and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Co., Ltd. Sheet I employs a combination of photogravure and offset printing. Under ultraviolet light, the sheet's border decoration reveals a stunning cave-like effect. The design of the pipa-shaped (Chinese lute-shaped) irregular perforations throughout the entire set adds significant visual appeal to the overall imagery.