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 right and wrong issues in stamp issuance during the "Cultural Revolution." The mental 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 successively. Emphasis was placed on and strengthened in stamp promotion, promoting the development of mass philately, and fully realizing the cultural and promotional functions of stamps, with unprecedented social influence. From 1979 to 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 cards. The stamp industry in China entered an unprecedentedly vigorous 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. It further clarifies that the guiding principle of stamp issuance in the new period adheres to the party's line, principles, and policies as the overall guiding ideology, 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 achievements of civilization for all humanity. The principles for stamp topic selection 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," major international events and outstanding thinkers, politicians, military leaders, artists, scientists, and writers in Chinese history were systematically featured on stamps during this period. 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 the great achievements of China 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 the National Games, Asian Games, and Olympic Games, fully reflecting the outstanding achievements of Chinese athletes in international sports.
After the reform and opening-up, the postal department strengthened its leadership in stamp issuance work and gradually established 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 design quality of stamps. Efforts were made to rebuild and develop the design team, which had been damaged during the "Cultural Revolution," and on this basis, reforms were carried out in 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 photographic printing technology, introducing new printing machines, upgrading old printing machines, and improving the quality of stamp paper and inks—the production of stamps was completely transformed, with a significant improvement in stamp printing quality. With its new 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 issuance of stamps during this period can be divided into two stages. From 1979 to 1985, it was a period of recovery and rectification. Building on the rectification of chaos in the early days of the reform and opening-up, the stamp issuance work, which 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, it was a 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 carried out in the design system, maintaining a good momentum of continuous development and prosperity in China's stamp industry.