Scott No: 924-926
Serial number: C122
Values in set: 3
Date of issue: December 31, 1966
Denomination: 24
Designer: Liu Shuoren, Kong Chunming
Engraver: Kong Shaohui
Size of stamps: 27.5*48mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition:
50(10*5) for Value 1, 3;
40(40*4) for Value 2
Printing process:
Engraving and photogravure for Value 1, 3;
Photogravure for Value 2
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Issued on 31 December 1966, the set contains three stamps, designed by Liu Shuoren and Sun Mingchun, engraved by Kong Shaohui and produced by Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size: 31mm × 52mm; perforation: 11.5 × 11; stamps (395) and (397) were printed in sheets of 50 (10 × 5) by combined photogravure and engraved recess printing, while (396) was printed in sheets of 40 (10 × 4) by photogravure. All three stamps carry a face value of 8 fen, giving a total set face value of 0.24 yuan, with a print run of 6 million each.

Main Theme of the Set

1966 was the thirtieth anniversary of Lu Xun's death, and the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued this set in commemoration. Lu Xun was a great modern Chinese writer, thinker and revolutionary, and the standard-bearer of the New Culture Movement and the left-wing cultural movement. The set takes three subjects — Mao Zedong's appraisal of Lu Xun, a portrait of Lu Xun, and the calligraphy of a famous line by Lu Xun — and, from the three dimensions of authoritative appraisal, personal image and spiritual maxim, pays tribute to Lu Xun's unyielding fighting spirit. It is also the closing work of the C-series stamps: after its issue the C- and S-series serial numbers were formally abolished, and stamp issuance passed into the W-series period.

Stamp Designs and Historical Context

Chairman Mao's Appraisal of Lu Xun

The design uses a red ground, with the main text excerpted from Mao Zedong's appraisal of Lu Xun in *On New Democracy*: "Lu Xun was the most correct, most courageous, most resolute, most loyal and most fervent national hero of unprecedented stature on the cultural front, representing the great majority of the whole nation and charging at the enemy. Lu Xun's direction is the direction of the new culture of the Chinese nation." The lettering is printed by engraving, the strokes dignified and forceful, and the black characters against the red ground form a strong contrast; this stamp sets the theme for the whole set.

Portrait of Lu Xun

The design is a half-length portrait of Lu Xun, taken from a classic photograph made in 1930. Lu Xun wears a long gown, his face lean, his gaze firm and composed; the ground is a soft light orange-yellow, with no superfluous scenery, concentrating attention on the character's integrity. The stamp is marked with the dates of his birth and death, "1881—1936", simple and solemn.

Lu Xun's Calligraphy

The design presents the calligraphy of the famous lines from Lu Xun's poem *Self-Mockery*: "Fierce-browed, I coolly defy a thousand pointing fingers; head-bowed, like a willing ox I serve the children." The calligraphy is arranged vertically, the ink vigorous; these two lines are the most concentrated summary of Lu Xun's spirit, the first showing the edge of struggle against the enemy and the second embodying his devotion to the people. This stamp is likewise printed by combined photogravure and engraved recess printing, the strokes of the calligraphy clearly engraved, bringing out the brush intent of the original.

Artistic Features of the Design

The whole set uses a uniform vertical format, and the three stamps have clearly divided roles, laid out in sequence as quotation, portrait and calligraphy, with a rigorous structure. The first and last stamps use combined photogravure and engraved recess printing, with solid, sharp engraved lines, so that the text and the calligraphy have a three-dimensional quality; the portrait in the middle uses photogravure, with soft gradations of tone, suited to rendering the light and shade of a human face. The set dispenses with elaborate ornament, and its style is dignified and plain, in contrast to the intense propaganda-poster manner of the same period.