Scott No: 497-498
Serial number: C78
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: April 4, 1960
Denomination: 16 fen
Designer: Zhong Lin, Liu Shuoren
Size of stamps: 36*25.5mm
Perforation: 11*11.5
Sheet composition: 50(5*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Issued by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications on April 4, 1960, this commemorative set contains two stamps. Designed by Zhong Ling, with layout artwork by Liu Shuoren, the stamps were photogravure-printed at the Beijing Stamp Factory and gummed on the reverse. Both stamps measure 36mm × 25.5mm, perforated 11 × 11.5 degrees. Each full sheet holds 50 stamps in a 5 × 10 arrangement, and the total face value of the set is ¥0.16. Both denominations are 8 fen, with an individual print run of 8 million copies each. Hungary was fully liberated on April 4, 1945, and this stamp set commemorates that historic occasion.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Friendship and Solidarity between China and Hungary

The national flags of the People’s Republic of China and Hungary are placed side by side at the top of the design. Below them appear silhouettes of Tiananmen in Beijing and the Liberty Monument in Budapest. Perched atop Gellért Hill in Budapest, the Liberty Monument was erected in memory of Hungary’s liberation. The succinct silhouettes stand out sharply against the deep background, symbolising the friendly ties binding China and Hungary.

Parliament Building of the Hungarian People’s Republic

The central motif is the Hungarian Parliament Building standing beside the Danube, an iconic classical landmark of Budapest with a red flag flying above its dome. The background is rendered in the cool blue tones of the Danube River. This grand edifice serves as the symbol of Hungarian state power and ranks among Europe’s celebrated architectural classics.

Artistic Design Features

Both stamps adopt a uniform vertical format with clearly divided themes: one expresses friendship between the two nations, while the other showcases Hungary’s landmark building, forming a complementary pair. The artwork blends silhouettes, sketching and colour woodcut techniques, characterised by spare, summarised lines without excessive intricate detail. Photogravure printing yields soft, translucent colours with a calm, solemn tone.

The two stamps share identical face value and print volume. They belong to the series of stamps celebrating fraternal socialist states from this period. This set is commonly collected alongside C79, Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the Liberation of Czechoslovakia, as companion sets.