Scott No: -
Serial number: 2022-8
Values in set: 6
Date of issue: May 18th, 2022
Denomination: 740 fen
Designer: Xing Wenwei
Size of stamps: 80 * 30 m
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 12 (Value 1, 2 in Sheet 1; Value 3, 4 in Sheet 2; Value 5, 6 in Sheet 3)
Sheet Size: 190 * 235 mm
Printing process: Offset
Printing House: Henan Provincal Post Printing Works

China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 6 special stamps themed "The Prosperous Scene of Gusu" on May 18, 2022. The total face value of the full set of stamps is 7.40 yuan, with a planned circulation of 7.3 million sets. In addition, a long-scroll stamp folder will be issued, with a planned circulation of 200,000 copies.

"The Prosperous Scene of Gusu", originally named "The Picture of Flourishing Age", was painted by Xu Yang in the Qing Dynasty. It is a colored paper scroll, measuring 36.5 centimeters in height and 1,241 centimeters in width, and is now collected in the Liaoning Provincial Museum. Xu Yang (dates of birth and death unknown), courtesy name Yunting, was a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. He was a court painter of the Qing Dynasty and specialized in painting figures, architectural paintings (jiehua), flowers, birds, insects and grass. Completed in the 24th year of the Qianlong reign (1759), "The Prosperous Scene of Gusu" uses a long-scroll format and scattered-point perspective technique to depict the urban customs of Suzhou in the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, where "merchants gather in crowds and all kinds of goods are abundant". It is another grand long scroll following "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" of the Song Dynasty. The entire scroll has an exquisite and rigorous layout, a magnificent momentum and meticulous brushwork. It vividly portrays the lakes and mountains of the Jiangnan region, rural cottages, the city walls of Changmen and Xumen, ancient ferries and boats, towns along the river, houses by the water, folk customs, government offices and commercial shops. It visually reflects the prosperous scene of Suzhou in the mid-18th century, with beautiful scenery, rich products, thriving industries and a gathering of talents, and thus possesses extremely high historical and artistic value.

This set of stamps was designed by Xing Wenwei. Based on the route of scenic spots and the content depicted in the scroll, it focuses on presenting 6 sections of the painting, namely Lingyan Mountain, Mudu Town, Lion Mountain and He Mountain, Wannian Bridge, Changmen Gate and Tiger Hill. The stamps adopt a horizontal and long format, fully demonstrating the delicate yet grand and magnificent scene of the prosperous age in the ancient painting. The overall design is simple and elegant, fully restoring the artistic conception of the original painting and presenting a unique visual artistic effect.

This set of stamps is printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Technology Co., Ltd. using offset printing technology.