CHINA REPUBLIC (Taiwan)

REPUBLIC OF CHINA (Taiwan) / 中華民國 (臺灣)

Inauguration of Shihmen Reservoir.
Irrigation Canal.
Second stamp in a set of 4, issued on 14.06.1964.
Face value: 1 Taiwanese new dollar.
Design: Lin Yuan-shen.
Printing: Photogravure.
Print: 1,500,000 copies.
Size: 38.5 x 28 mm.

Catalogs
- Michel No. 531.
- Scott No. 1409.
- StampWorld No. 531.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 509.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 473.

Shihmen Reservoir (石門水庫) is formed by the dam of the same name on the Dahan River near Taoyuan City. It provides irrigation in Taoyuan, flood control for the Taipei Basin, and hydroelectricity and domestic water supply for more than three million people in northern Taiwan. Construction of the dam began in July 1955 and was inaugurated on June 14, 1964. It has an area of 8 km² (3.09 sq mi) and a capacity of 309,120,000 m³. Its construction forced the displacement of some 2,000 people who lived on the banks of the river. Some 27 km (17 mi) of canals were added to the existing irrigation system, including the new Shihmen Canal (represented in the stamp), which totals 175 km (109 mi).