Background Informations:
On April 16, 2008, China National Philatelic Corporation issued a first-day cover carrying a two-piece set of special stamps, "Scenery on the Qiandao Lake", with a total face value of 2.40 yuan. The stamps are entitled "Beautiful Qiandao Lake" and "Green Islands on the Qiandao Lake". At the same time, it also issued a miniature sheet cover.
The Qiandao (Thousand Islands) Lake, located in Chun'an County of Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, is a man-made lake built in 1959 to store water for the Xin'anjiang Hydropower Station. The lake covers an area of 573 sq km and over 1000 islands of different shapes and sizes are scattered on it; hence the name. With a vast expanse of water and beautiful scenery, the lake is really a natural landscape scroll. The islands scattered on the lake look like pearls on a jade plate. In the open part, it's a vast expanse of misty, rolling waters; while in the narrow part, the waterway zigzags, just like a maze. Around the lake are mountains covered with lush trees, in which birds sing and flowers blossom. It is a brilliant pearl in the hinterland of the Yangtze River Delta. With its charming landscape, it has attracted numerous Chinese and foreign tourists.
