Saturday 27 April 2013

T10 -- Militia Women

People's militia is a half military organization which is served by ordinary people who aside from their farm, factory and study duties, are also military trained.  The task of people's militia is to actively take part in building the socialism and take the lead in labour; to cooperate with the Army to consolidate frontier defence and manage public order; and to prepare for joining the army to fight at any time to defend the country.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, People's militia developed swiftly in townships and villages.  Women were liberated from the bottom tier of the society and they eagerly participated in the building of the socialist society and enterprises, as well as enrolling into the People's militia.


To commemorate the International Women's Day and depicting the militia women' lives and activities,  a set of three stamps was released on March 8,1975.

(3-1) 8 fen, Sharpshooters  我们都是神枪手
(3-2) 8 fen, Back from target practice  打靶归来
(3-3) 8 fen, The "Underground Great Wall"  地下长城

(3-1)【Sharpshooters】This stamp design came from the oil painting  "Sharpshooters" 《我们都是神枪手》, by Zhao Shuqin (赵淑钦).  The oil painting showed a group of island Militia Women cleaning their weapons after target shooting, with the sea as the background.

(3-2)【Back from target practice】This stamp design came from the oil painting "Back from target practice" 《打靶归来》, by Yang Ze (杨则) The oil painting showed a group of Militia Women riding their horses back to camp after target shooting, with the grassland as the background.

(3-3)【The "Underground Great Wall"】This stamp design came from the oil painting "Underground Great Wall" 《地下长城》, by Liu Sanduo (刘三多) and Wu Zhengquan (伍正权).  The oil painting showed the Liberated Army and the Militia Women in the act of building an underground bunker.

T10 – Militia Women  女民兵
Issue Date: 1977.3.8
Serial Number:
T10
Scott No.:
1312-1314
Michel No.:
1322-1324
Number of stamps in Set:
3
Denomination:
8 fen for stamp 1, 2, 3
Quantity of Issue:
5,000,000 for stamp 1, 2, 3
Perforation:
P11½
Sheet Composition:
40(4 X 10)
Size of stamps:
53 X 31 mm
Original Artists
Stamp 1 - Zhao Shuqin  赵淑钦
Stamp 2 -- Yang Ze  杨则
Stamp 3 -- Liu Sanduo 刘三多
                   Wu Zhengquan 伍正权
Designer:
Liu Shuoren 刘硕仁
Printing Process:
Photogravure
Printing House:
Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Monday 22 April 2013

T9 - Rural Woman Teachers

In 1910, the second International Conference of Socialist Women decided to instate March 8 as International Women's Day according to Clara Zatkin's suggestion to commemorate Chicago Women's Strike of America in 1909 and unite women all over the world.

China's women celebrated the first March 8 Women's Day in 1924 at Guangzhou. 

The constitution of People's Republic of China stipulates that Women in China enjoy equal rights with men in all spheres of life, such as in political, economic, cultural, social and family life.

On December 23,1949, the Central Government State Council of PRC stipulated March 8 as Women Day, on which day women take a holiday of half day.

To commend women's deeds and call on the whole nation to care for education in rural areas, the set of special stamps -- Rural Woman Teachers was released on March 8,1975 (International Women's Day).


(4-1) 8 fen, Conscientious reading and study  认真看书学习
(4-2) 8 fen, A touring teacher  巡回教学
(4-3) 8 fen, Open-air schooling  开门办学
(4-4) 8 fen, A primary school on boat  水上小学

(4-1)【Conscientious reading and study】The stamp depicted a women teacher studying hard in a rural village, so that she can transfer her knowledge to the young students in the village.  The stamp showed her with a copy of "People's Post" newspaper on the desk and the big letters propaganda on the wall "Be loyal to the Party's Education Career" (忠诚党的教育事业).

(4-2)【A touring teacher】The background of the stamp design is a vast grassland, Mongolian gers, meandering river, electricity transmission tower and a rural woman teacher horse riding to reach and teach children of the shepherding communities.

(4-3)【Open-air schooling】The stamp depicted a happy open-air school scene in a village.  The women teacher is looking after a group of pupils with abacuses.  The background of the stamp showed a weighing scale and a bumper harvest.

(4-4)【A primary school on boat】The stamp depicted a women teacher teaching a group of young students on a boat.  "Education Revolution" (教育要革命) was written on the blackboard.   Background of the stamp showed some fishing boats parked at the shore. 

T9 – Rural Woman Teachers  乡村女教师
Issue Date: 1975.3.8
Serial Number:T9
Scott No.:1218-1221
Michel No.:1228-1231
Number of stamps in Set:4
Denomination:8 fen for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Quantity of Issue:5,000,000 for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Perforation:P11 X 11½
Sheet Composition:50 (5 X 10) for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Size of stamps:40 X 30 mm for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Designer:Wan Weisheng  万维生
Printing Process:Photogravure
Printing House:Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Sunday 21 April 2013

T8 -- Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius

Criticize Lin Biao (林彪) and Confucius is one of the last political propaganda campaigns of China's Cultural Revolution era.

It was started by Mao Zedong (毛泽东) and his wife, Jiang Qing (江青), the leader of the gang of Four (四人帮).  It lasted from 1973 until the end of the Cultural Revolution, in 1976.

On July 4,1973, during a conversation with Wang Hongwen (王洪文) and Zhang Chunqiao (张春桥), Mao Zedong mentioned that Lin Biao and Kuomindang (国民党) both respected Confucius and are against the constitution.   On August 7, the People's Daily released the article  "Confucius-A Thinker Who Stubbornly Upheld the Slave System" 《孔子——顽固地维护奴隶制的思想家》, written by Yang Rongguo (杨荣国) and approved by Mao Zedong.

On Jan.18,1974, "Lin Biao and the thought of Confucius and Mengzi" 《林彪与孔孟之道》, a selection of essays by Beijing University and Tsinghua University under Jiang Qing's direction was transmitted as the document of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and approved by Mao Zedong.

Then the propaganda campaign "Criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius" was launched across the whole nation.

On August 20, 1975, China issued a set of stamps commemorating the propaganda campaign "Criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius".  The set of 4 stamps are:

(4-1) 8 fen, Workers criticizing  《千秋功罪,我们评说》
(4-2) 8 fen, Peasants criticizing  《生产队长》
(4-3) 8 fen, Soldier criticizing  《边疆作战》
(4-4) 8 fen, A liberated slave criticizing  《翻身奴隶上战场,批林批孔当闯将》

(4-1)【Workers criticizing】This stamp design used a painting by Liu Yan Sheng (刘延生) and Hou Jie (侯杰) -- "Mass Revolutionary Criticism"《千秋功罪,我们评说》, completed about August 1970, at Beijing Xishan Mining Affairs Bureau.  The painting showed a miner stepping up on stage to give a speech criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius, while others miners were paying full attention on the speaker and his speech.

(4-2)【Peasants criticizing】This stamp design used a painting by Xiao Sirui (肖斯锐)  -- "Leader of a Production Brigade"《生产队长》.  The painting showed the peasants in the act of drafting posters criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius.

(4-3)【Soldier criticizing】This stamp design used a painting by Shang Ding (尚丁) -- "The Battle Continues"《边疆作战》.  The painting showed a soldier writing essay criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius.  The soldier sat at the side of a tank with a red Ma Zedong booklet beside him.

(4-4)【A liberated slave criticizing 】This stamp design used a propaganda painting by Qian Laizhong (钱来忠) -- "A liberated slave becomes a pioneer to critcize Lin Biao and Confucius  " 《翻身奴隶上战场,批林批孔当闯将》.  The painting portrayed a liberated slave giving a speech from a "Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius" essay.  He was carrying a rifle on his back and the background has numerous people and red flags.
 
All the four stamps also included the message "Broaden, deepen and persevere in the movement to Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius" (把批林批孔运动普及、深入、持久地进行下去).

T8–Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius 把批林批孔运动普及、深入、持久地进行下去
Issue Date: 1975.8.20
Serial Number:
T8
Scott No.:
1228-1231
Michel No.:
1238-1241
Number of stamps in Set:
4
Denomination:
8 fen for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Quantity of Issue:
5,000,000 for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Perforation:
Stamp 1, 2 -- P11½ X 11
Stamp 3, 4 - P11 X 11½
Sheet Composition:
Stamp 1, 2 -- 5010 X 5
Stamp 3, 4 -- 50(5 X 10
Size of stamps:
Stamp 1, 2 -- 30 X 40 mm
Stamp 3, 4 -- 40 X 30 mm
Original Artists
Stamp 1 - Liu Yan Sheng刘延生, Hou Jie侯杰
Stamp 2 -- Xiao Sirui  肖斯锐
Stamp 3 -- Shang Ding  尚丁
Stamp 4 -- Qian Laizhong  钱来忠
Designer:
Liu Shuoren  刘硕仁
Printing Process:
Photogravure
Printing House:
Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works