100 Based on 100 Yuan New Millennium

Issued to mark the turn of the millennium, this note was produced by the People's Bank of China as a commemorative rather than a circulating denomination — it supplemented, rather than replaced, the standard fourth-series 100 Yuan notes already in pockets and tills. Commemorative Chinese currency from this period tends to be well-preserved because recipients treated it as a keepsake from the first day of issue, which means genuinely circulated examples are the exception.

The "Based on 100 Yuan" designation reflects its legal tender status at face value, redeemable but rarely redeemed.