China, Iran jointly issue stamps of bridges to mark golden jubilee of diplomatic ties

TEHRAN, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China and Iran on Saturday jointly unveiled a set of two commemorative stamps depicting their ancient bridges to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Chinese Ambassador to Iran Chang Hua said at the issuance ceremony that this set of stamps shows the exquisite ancient architectural art of the two countries and symbolizes "the bridges of friendship" linking China and Iran.

It also denotes the ancient Silk Road, which has acted as a bridge spanning East and West and made important contributions to exchanges between all civilizations, Chang added.

Ramezanali Sobhanifar, head of Iran's national post company, said the images of the two bridges not only represent the heritage of the past, but also serve as "the bridges to link the countries."

Today, the two bridges of friendship side by side signify the establishment and strengthening of the relationship between the two countries, he added.

Selected as representatives of bridges in the two countries, China's Guangji Bridge is an open-and-close style bateau bridge, parts of which are connected by floating boats that can be opened to let the ships get across, while the Khaju Bridge, located in Iran's Isfahan, features a multi-functional structure, which not only spans the Zayanderud River, but also acts as a weir and a recreational building.

Another issuance ceremony was held on the same day in Chaozhou, the city in southern China's Guangdong Province where the Guangji Bridge is located.