Scott No: 344, 344a
Serial number: C47, C47m
Values in set: 1
Date of issue:
May 1, 1958 for Mint stamps;
May 30, 1958 for S/S
Denomination: 8 fen
Designer: Sun Chuanzhe
Engraver: Kong Shaohui
Size of stamps: 35*27.5mm
Perforation: 14
Sheet composition: 90(9*10)
Size of S/S: 87*137mm
Stamp of S/S: 35*27.5mm
Printing process: Engraving
Printing House: China Modern Times Printing Works

Issued on May 1, 1958, the complete set contains one engraved stamp, designed by Sun Chuanzhe and engraved by Kong Shaohui, printed by China Modern Printing Company. The stamp measures 35mm × 27.5mm, with a perforation gauge of 14 degrees. The full sheet holds 90 stamps in a 9×10 arrangement. The total face value of the set is 0.08 yuan. Monument to the People's Heroes, 8 fen, circulation: 8 million. The set has no gum on the reverse. A souvenir sheet, C47M, was separately released on May 30, 1958. Designed by Liu Shuoren, it is also engraved and imperforate, sized 87mm × 137mm, with a print run of 200,000 copies and no gum.

Main Theme of the Set

Standing in Tiananmen Square, the Monument to the People's Heroes had its foundation stone laid on September 30, 1949, was completed in April 1958, and officially unveiled on May 1. On the front face of the stele is Mao Zedong’s inscription: “Eternal Glory to the People’s Heroes”. On the reverse side is the epitaph drafted by Mao Zedong and handwritten by Zhou Enlai. Eight white marble reliefs on the Sumeru pedestal condense more than a century of revolutionary struggles from the Opium War to the Liberation War. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued this set upon the monument’s inauguration, to honour revolutionary martyrs who sacrificed themselves for national independence and the liberation of the people, bear witness to the magnificent revolutionary course of modern China, and express the eternal reverence and remembrance of the whole nation for these heroes.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Monument to the People's Heroes

The composition adopts a side perspective of the monument, fully presenting the stele, the double-tiered Sumeru base, two white marble terraces and surrounding stone balustrades, conveying a solemn and towering presence. The inscription on the main stele remains legible, while the reliefs on the pedestal are suggested through concise lines, reinforcing a grave and solemn atmosphere. This monument is New China’s first large-scale commemorative stone carving, a three-dimensional monument to modern Chinese revolutionary history, carrying the shared historical memory of an entire nation.

Souvenir Sheet

The upper right section of the souvenir sheet reproduces the stamp’s main design. The full epitaph from the reverse side of the monument is printed on the left, with the inscription “Eternal Glory to the People’s Heroes” placed below. The layout as a whole is dignified and well-proportioned, with text and imagery complementing one another. It marks the first souvenir sheet issued by New China, possessing great historical documentary value and special philatelic significance for its format.

Artistic Features

The regular stamp is printed horizontally in the engraved technique, set against a solid, pure crimson background with no extra scenery, so that visual focus falls entirely on the monument itself. The engraved lines are compact and firm, precisely rendering the layers of the white marble stele, railings and steps. Its restrained, minimalist approach builds a tone of solemnity, gravity and depth. While the regular stamp had a comparatively large print run, the accompanying souvenir sheet was limited to only 200,000 copies and survives in scarce quantities. It is a highly celebrated classic among the early “Ji-Te” stamps, and an iconic collectible in the history of New China’s commemorative stamps and souvenir sheets.