Fossils get stamp of approval

The Chengjiang Fossil Site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Chengjiang, Yunnan province, offers a paleobiological window into its land for those passionate about fossils. The hilly site documents at least 16 phyla, a variety of enigmatic groups, and about 196 species in an exceptional testimony to the rapid diversification of life on Earth 530 million years ago.

In 2024, China Post issued a set of special stamps titled World Natural Heritage — Chengjiang Fossil Site, including a Microdictyon sinicum fossil, symbiotic fossils of Cricocosmia and Inquicus, and the Fuxianhuia protensa fossil. A special plate displays three sets of stamps, and between them is a vivid painting of the animals that lived underwater millions of years ago. The design is a collaboration between artists at China Philately and Wang Yuheng, a celebrity who gained fame in 2015 after competing on the knowledge TV show Super Brain 2.