Scott No: -
Serial number: 2023-21
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: October 17, 2023
Denomination: 480 fen
Designer: Wang Huming
Size of stamps: 50 * 30 mm
Perforation: 13
Sheet composition: 12
Size of sheet: 186 * 156 mm
Printing process: Offset + Engraving
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 4 special stamps themed "National Archaeological Site Parks" on October 17, 2023. The stamps bear the design titles respectively: Liangzhu National Archaeological Site Park, Taosi National Archaeological Site Park, Shimao National Archaeological Site Park, and Erlitou National Archaeological Site Park. The total face value of the entire stamp set is 4.80 yuan, with a planned circulation of 7,017,000 sets.

This set of stamps takes "Exploring the Origins of Chinese Civilization" as its core theme.

Liangzhu National Archaeological Site Park is located in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. Dating back approximately 5,300 to 4,300 years, the site features a triple-layered city structure and a large-scale water conservancy system, serving as a pivotal site that authenticates China’s 5,000-year history of civilization. The representative cultural relic selected for the stamp is the "trident-shaped jade artifact"—a hair accessory used by tribal leaders during the Liangzhu Culture period. Mostly plain in base design, the artifact is carved with divine emblems on its surface: a beast face in the center and human faces with feathered crowns on both sides. With its neat shape and exquisite patterns, it exemplifies the superb craftsmanship of jade trident-shaped artifacts produced in the early and middle stages of the Liangzhu Culture.

Taosi National Archaeological Site Park is situated in Linfen City, Shanxi Province. Dating from around 4,300 to 3,900 years ago, it is a key research object for exploring the Xia Culture and its precursor cultures in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. The featured relic here is the "cinnabar-inscribed flat pottery pot". Two characters were written on the pot’s surface with cinnabar using a brush-like tool, showing distinct brush strokes. One character has been identified as "WEN" (wen, meaning "culture" or "literature"), while the other has been interpreted differently in academic circles, with proposed readings including "YAO" (Yao, referring to Emperor Yao), "YANG" (yang, meaning "sun" or "bright"), and "YI" (yi, meaning "city" or "settlement"). The discovery of these cinnabar inscriptions holds significant reference value for exploring the origin and formation of Chinese characters.

Shimao National Archaeological Site Park is located in Shenmu City, Shaanxi Province. Dating back roughly 4,300 to 4,000 years, it is a crucial site for researching the Xia Culture in the Hetao region of the middle Yellow River basin. The representative relic chosen is the "stone pillar carved with divine faces". Each side of the stone pillar is adorned with a relief of a divine face—one with an angry expression and the other calm—both vividly depicted. This artifact provides rare material evidence for understanding the artistic attainments and spiritual beliefs of early Chinese civilization.

Erlitou National Archaeological Site Park is situated in Luoyang City, Henan Province. Dating from approximately 3,800 to 3,500 years ago, it was the largest settlement in China and even East Asia at that time. It holds great reference significance for studying major topics such as the origin of Chinese civilization, the rise of states, the emergence of cities, the construction of royal capitals, and the institutionalization of royal palaces. The featured relic here is the "bronze plaque inlaid with turquoise beast-face patterns". With a bronze frame and symmetrical ring-shaped knobs on both sides, the plaque is inlaid with hundreds of turquoise pieces forming beast-face patterns. Crafted through complex techniques, it is exquisitely made.

The cultural relics and content featured on the stamps were recommended and confirmed by relevant institutions under the organization of the National Cultural Heritage Administration. The foreground of each stamp depicts representative cultural relics unearthed from the corresponding site, while the background shows relevant historical remains and distinctive landscapes. The images emphasize a sense of historical texture, showcasing the magnificent and glorious heritage of historical culture. Designed by Wang Huming, the stamps were printed by Beijing Stamp Factory Co., Ltd. using the offset-engraving combination printing process. To highlight the artistic characteristics of the cultural relics, four different colors of engraving ink were used for the four stamps, accentuating the color features of the relics.