1998-21, Rock Painting in Helan Mountain《贺兰山岩画》

Stamp Title: Rock Painting in Helan Mountain
Scott No: 2897, 2898, 2899
Serial number: 1998-21
Values in set: 3
(3-1), Human Face, 50 fen, 50*30mm
(3-2), Hunting, 100 fen, 50*30mm
(3-3), Ox, 150 fen, 50*30mm
Date of issue: September 23, 1998
Designers: Yan Bingwu; Guo Chenghui
Size of stamp: 50*30mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 40
Printing process: offset
Printing house: Henan postage stamps printing works

Helan Mountain, located in the northwestern part of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, ranges more than 250 kilometres. The grand and precipitous mountain has been inhabited by various nationalities-Xirong, Xiongnu, Xianbei, Chile, Tujue, Huihu, Dangxiang and Mongolian-in northern China since the ancient times. The ancient people who lived and worded there also carved their lives and dreams on rock paintings. The rock paintings in Helan Mountain are the works done by different nationalities of different times, as early as in the Shang and the Zhou dynasties and as late as the Xixia and the Yuan dynasties. These rock paintings have various themes which include: nomadic life, sacrifice to gods, animals and human images as well as knives, axes, stone chains, traps and carts. The paintings involve a rich variety of themes such as astronomy, human activities and geography. What are especially eye-catching are those on myths and legends and genital worship. These artistic signs, which are the crystals combining human beings’ thinking in images with abstract thinking, can well be regarded as an encyclopedia of ancient Chinese nomadic nationalities.

1998年特种邮票《贺兰山岩画》
国家邮政局1998年9月23日发行《贺兰山岩画》特种邮票1套3枚。
（3-1）T 人面 50分 4179.9万枚
（3-2）T 涉猎 100分 3149.9万枚
（3-3）T 公牛 150分 3639.9万枚

志号名称：1998-21T
版别：胶印
整版枚数：40 枚
邮票规格：50×30毫米
齿孔度数：12度
设计者：阎炳武、郭承辉
印制机构：河南省邮电印刷厂

贺兰山是宁夏回族自治区和内蒙古自治区的界山，由乌兰布和沙漠、腾格里沙漠、卫宁北山、银川平原相环绕，全长二百余公里，平均海拔2000米以上。贺兰山西坡较缓，逐渐过渡到内蒙古高原，东坡陡峭，山势雄伟，高差较大，构成一道天然屏障，从而削弱了西伯利亚高压冷气流，阻截了腾格里沙漠的东侵，也阻止了潮湿的东南季风西进，使得贺兰山东西两侧气候、水源、植被有着显著的差别，成为我国外流区和内流区的分水岭，是温带荒漠草原与荒漠、季风气候和非季风气候的分界线，也是半农半牧区和牧区的分界线。贺兰山也是我国农耕民族和猎牧民族的交界地带，历史上曾有猃狁、姜戌、匈奴、乌桓、鲜卑、柔然、突厥、回鹘、吐蕃、党项、蒙古等民族在这里狩猎放牧，生息繁衍，创造了灿烂的多民族文化，留下了丰富的文化遗存。

在贺兰山东麓发现了数以万计的古代岩画，它记录了远古人类在3000年前至10000年前放牧、狩猎、祭祀、争战、娱舞、交媾等生活场景，以及羊、牛、马、驼、虎、豹等多种动物图案和抽象符号，揭示了原始氏族部落自然崇拜、生殖崇拜、图腾崇拜、祖先崇拜的文化内涵，是研究中国人类文化史、宗教史、原始艺术史的文化宝库。

据调查，贺兰山岩画分布在宁夏贺兰山东麓三市九县(区)，共27个地点。其中银川市境内的贺兰山东麓共有12个岩画点，从北到南计有大西峰沟、小西峰沟、白虎沟、插旗口、贺兰口、苏峪口、回回沟、拜寺口、水吉口、滚钟口、红旗沟、柳渠口。贺兰山的“岩画”确切地说是岩刻。我国云南、广西也有不少岩画，亦称崖画，是用颜料画的，而且多用红色颜料，而我国北方的“岩画”多半是岩刻。贺兰山的众多“岩画”，只有白芨沟的是用颜料作画，其他的都属于岩刻。