Six Asian Games stamps designed by Yu Youjin. [Photo/tianmunews.com]

Yu Youjin, founder of Jiaxing shell carving stamps and inheritor of Jiaxing shell carving, has created a set of special Asian Games stamps that showcase the charm of Jiangnan within a small space.

"We want to use the Hangzhou Asian Games to promote Jiangnan culture and Asian Games culture in the form of commemorative stamps," said Yu Youjin.

Commissioned by the Hangzhou branch of China Post Group, Yu designed the licensed commodity shell carving stamps for the Games, of which six have been publically issued, and two more are expected to be issued at the opening of the Games.

Carving patterns on thin shell slices requires extremely precise material selection and technical requirements. To carve such a stamp requires more than 10 processes, such as cutting, carving, trimming, cleaning, polishing, and coloring.

Having dealt with shells for decades, Yu is considered a shell expert. When he was young, he was into craft design. His hometown, Xitang town in Jiashan county, is rich in shells due to its developed water system.

After retiring in 2005, he devoted himself to shell carving. He founded a shell carving factory, researched the mechanized mass production of shell crafts, and is now an inheritor of Jiashan county's intangible cultural heritage of shell carving and has obtained 63 national patents.

Yu has been involved with the Asian Games for 13 years. During the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games, his four shell carving stamps were also publicly issued as licensed products.

"I hope that traditional skills such as shell carving can spread around the world through the Asian Games," said Yu.