To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the China Post recently issued a commemorative stamp inspired by the country's commitment to building a global community of shared future.
The stamp is printed with "The 10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative" in Chinese and English. A golden number 10 is set in the center of the stamp, while the background abstractly combines the Earth's meridians and parallels, symbolizing the bright future of building a community of shared future for mankind through the BRI. The golden bridge below the number is an art installation - Golden Bridge on the Silk Road by Chinese artist Shu Yong.
Based on the ancient Zhaozhou Bridge in North China's Hebei Province, the installation work conveys a message of a global community of shared future. It has been widely regarded as a cultural symbol of the BRI. It has been a core art installation at high-level events like the Milan Expo in 2015 and the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in 2017.
"Stamps can be seen as a country's name card as well as a national symbol that tell Chinese stories about the new era. Being part of the design team meant very much to me personally and professionally," Shu told the Global Times.
"Bridges hold a distinctive connotation in Chinese culture. It represents building a channel for connection and communication. Including the bridge in the stamp is not only an acknowledgment to my work, but also shows the essence of the BRI," Shu noted.
Over the past decade, the BRI has followed the guiding principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, which led to the inspiration for the central number 10 being composed of various shipping, air traffic and logistics logos as well as flowers.
"The China-Laos Railway, the new Haifa port in Israel, the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway… So many examples come to our mind when we think about the connectivity projects that are delivering tangible benefits to local residents via the BRI," Shu explained.
As a saying goes, "a single flower does not make a spring." Different flowers bloom for the unique cultures from different countries across the world, further elaborating on the flowers in the central number, he said.
"It expresses China's commitment to deepening mutual learning among civilizations for a shared bright future, as well as its goodwill for common prosperity and development of all countries in the world," Shu said.
The China Post plans to issue 7.05 million copies of the commemorative stamp at 1.2 yuan (16 cents) per stamp. In addition to the stamp, the China Post, Hongkong Post and Macao Post and Telecommunications are jointly presenting a stamp booklet containing stamps and stamp sheetlets to mark the BRI's 10th anniversary together.
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