History of Chinese Stamps. Volume 9

Author: Editorial Committee of the History of Chinese Stamps, Ministry of Information Industry of the People's Republic of China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Since 1979, China's socialist construction entered a new historical development period. The stamp industry in China also experienced rapid growth. The postal department adopted a series of measures to rectify the chaos and clarify the issues distorted during the "Cultural Revolution" in stamp issuance, removing the ideological constraints in management, topic selection, design, and promotion. The stamp issuance institutions were reorganized, topic series were established, and the design and printing standards of stamps were improved, leading to the issuance of a large number of stamps with an era spirit and national characteristics. Emphasis was placed on strengthening stamp promotion, fostering the development of mass philately, and fully utilizing the cultural and promotional functions of stamps, significantly enhancing their social influence. Between 1979 and 1991, a total of 296 sets of stamps were issued, including 151 commemorative stamps, 134 special stamps, and 11 common stamps, along with many new types such as booklet stamps, charity stamps, commemorative postal covers, and New Year greeting stamps. The stamp industry in China entered an unprecedentedly vibrant new phase of development. Volume 9 of The History of Chinese Stamps documents the development of China's stamp industry from 1979 to 1991, showcasing the era-specific characteristics of stamp issuance in the new period. It further clarifies that the guiding principle of stamp issuance in the new period adheres to the Party's line, policies, and principles as the overall guidance, promoting major events in the political life of the Party and the state, achievements in socialist construction, China's long history, splendid culture, ethnic unity, and beautiful landscapes, as well as the common civilizational achievements of humanity. The principles for stamp topics became increasingly clear, and the themes of stamps became more diverse. After the reform and opening-up, the policy of emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and promoting a hundred flowers blooming was upheld in stamp topic selection, and the management of stamp topics became more standardized and institutionalized. Breaking through the "taboos" on stamp themes during the "Cultural Revolution," significant international events and outstanding thinkers, politicians, military leaders, artists, scientists, and writers from Chinese history were systematically featured on stamps. Stamps became "miniature encyclopedias," serving as "museums" and "gardens" of social and historical development.
Achievements in Socialist Construction:
In terms of theme selection, greater emphasis was placed on scientific accuracy, showcasing China's great achievements in industry, agriculture, science and technology, and defense after the reform and opening-up. With the vigorous development of sports in China, the content of sports stamps became increasingly rich, with numerous stamps issued for national sports events, the Asian Games, and the Olympic Games, fully reflecting the outstanding performance of Chinese athletes on the world sports stage.
After the reform and opening-up, the postal department strengthened its leadership in stamp issuance, gradually forming a relatively complete system for stamp issuance. During this period, the postal department identified the strengthening of the design team as a breakthrough point to improve the quality of stamp design. Significant efforts were made to rebuild and develop the design team, which had been damaged during the "Cultural Revolution," and on this basis, reforms were introduced to the design system, incorporating competitive mechanisms. Based on different themes, invitations were extended to painters from the social art circles to participate in design, with multiple designers involved in each topic. The Stamp Design Evaluation Committee recommended the best designs, thereby promoting improvements in stamp design quality.
Through a series of technical transformations in the 1970s and 1980s—such as introducing advanced printing equipment, innovating photolithography techniques, importing new printing machines, upgrading old printing machines, and improving the quality of stamp paper and inks—the production of stamps was completely revitalized, and the printing level of stamps was significantly enhanced. With its fresh appearance, Chinese stamps won praise and acclaim from domestic and international experts and philatelists.
Based on the 13-year development process and characteristics of the period covered in this volume, the issuance of stamps during this time can be divided into two phases. From 1979 to 1985 was the period of recovery and rectification. Building on the rectification of chaos during the reform and opening-up, the stamp issuance work that had been damaged during the "Cultural Revolution" was comprehensively restored and rectified, allowing stamp issuance to quickly return to order and enter a thriving phase. From 1986 to 1991 was the period of development and reform. The stamp issuance management institutions were reorganized multiple times, long-term plans were made for stamp topics, and reforms were introduced to the stamp design system. The Chinese stamp industry maintained a strong and prosperous development momentum.