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. The spiritual constraints in management, topic selection, design, and promotion were lifted. The stamp issuance institutions were reorganized, topic series were established, and the design and printing standards of stamps were improved. A large number of stamps with an era spirit and national characteristics were issued. Emphasis was placed on and strengthened in stamp promotion, promoting 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. Many new types of stamps were also introduced, 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 records the development of China's stamp industry during the 13 years from 1979 to 1991, showcasing the era-specific characteristics of stamp issuance in the new period. The stamp issuance policy in the new period was further clarified, adhering to the guiding principles of the Party's line, policies, and measures, promoting major events in the political life of the Party and the state, highlighting the achievements of socialist construction, and showcasing China's long history, splendid culture, ethnic unity, and beautiful landscapes. The stamp issuance topics became more focused, and the themes of stamps became richer.
After the reform and opening-up, the principle of "emancipating the mind, seeking truth from facts, and promoting diversity" was upheld in stamp topic selection, and the management of stamp topics became more standardized and institutionalized. The "taboos" on stamp themes during the Cultural Revolution were broken. In addition to reflecting the vibrant era of China's social development during this period, major international events and outstanding thinkers, politicians, military leaders, artists, scientists, and writers from Chinese history were also systematically featured on stamps. Stamps became "miniature encyclopedias," serving as "museums" and "gardens" of social and historical development.
Socialist Construction Achievements
In terms of theme selection, greater emphasis was placed on scientific accuracy, showcasing China's great achievements in industry, agriculture, science and technology, and national 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 strengthening the design team as a breakthrough point to improve the quality of stamp design. Efforts were made to rebuild and develop the design team, which had been damaged during the Cultural Revolution, and reforms were introduced to the design system, introducing competitive mechanisms. Based on different themes, painters from the social art circles were invited to participate in design, with multiple designers involved in each topic. The Stamp Design Draft Evaluation Committee recommended the best designs to promote the improvement of stamp design quality.
Through a series of technical transformations in the 1970s and 1980s—such as introducing advanced printing equipment, innovating photolithography techniques, introducing 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 high praise from domestic and international experts and philatelists.
Based on the 13-year development process and characteristics of the period covered in this volume, the stamp issuance during this period 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 early 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. China's stamp industry maintained a strong and prosperous trend of continuous development.