China Stamp: 2008-26

Sheetlet

China Stamps
Name: The 50th Anniversary of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region
Number: 2008-26
Date of Issue: 18 October 2008
Value: 3 stamps/set

Denominations:
80 Fen (3-1): Song of Joy
1.20 Yuan (3-2): Cooperation
1.20 Yuan (3-2): Development

Guangxi (or Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region; simplified Chinese: 广西壮族自治区; traditional Chinese: 廣西壯族自治區; pinyin: Guǎngxī Zhuàngzú Zìzhìqū) is a Zhuang autonomous region of the People's Republic of China.

Its location in southern China, along its border with Vietnam, and mountainous terrain, has made it one of the border frontiers of Chinese civilization. Even into the 20th century it was considered an open, wild territory. The current name "Guang" itself means "expanse", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in 226 AD. It was given provincial level status during the Yuan Dynasty and in 1949 was reformed as one of China's five minority autonomous regions.

The abbreviation of the province is 桂 (Gui), which comes from Guilin, former capital, center of much of Guangxi's culture, politics, and history, and currently a major city in the autonomous region.

Being in the far south, Guangxi was not taken by communist forces until after the People's Republic was formed; it joined in December 1949, two months after the People's Republic's foundation. In 1958, Guangxi was converted into an autonomous region for the Zhuang, by recommendation of Premier Zhou Enlai. This decision was made because the Zhuang were one of the biggest minority groups in China, and were mostly concentrated in Guangxi; however, they form a minority of Guangxi's population. More...