Scott No: 1381-83,83a
Serial number: J25
Values in set: 3
Date of issue: March 18, 1978
Denomination: 24 fen
Designer: Xu Yanbo
Size of stamps: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Size of M/S: 140*106mm
Stamps of M/S: (40*30mm)*3
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Issued on 18 March 1978, the set contains three stamps, printed in photogravure, designed by Xu Yanbo and produced by Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size: 30mm × 40mm; perforation: 11.5 × 11; sheet composition: 50 stamps (10 × 5); total face value: RMB 0.24 yuan; each stamp has a print run of 15 million. A souvenir sheet was issued concurrently, with a print run of 100,000 copies.

Main Theme of the Set

The National Science Conference opened in Beijing on 18 March 1978, a landmark event in the scientific and technological history of New China. The conference affirmed that science and technology constitute a productive force and recognised intellectuals as part of the working class, breaking ideological shackles that had long restrained scientific and technological advancement. Guo Moruo penned *The Spring of Science*, which became a powerful clarion call of the era. Released alongside the opening of the conference, the three stamps unfold progressively, depicting the convening of the conference, the march toward modernisation and the endeavour to scale the heights of science and technology. They commemorate this grand gathering and embody the earnest aspiration of the whole nation to value science, respect talent and rejuvenate the country through science and technology.

Stamp Designs and Historical Context

The Spring of Science

The central motif is the emblem of the National Science Conference, composed of a red flag, an atomic model and a spacecraft. The Tiananmen Gate appears beneath the emblem, with delicate floral patterns as background ornamentation. Tiananmen marks the venue of the conference; the atomic model and spacecraft symbolise modern science and technology, and the red flag represents guidance, signifying that science and technology had entered a brand-new phase of development.

March Toward the Four Modernizations

Four flags in different colours are illustrated, each bearing symbolic patterns for the modernisation of agriculture, industry, national defence and science and technology respectively. The flags billow freely within a bright composition. Through the imagery of flags, the stamp directly conveys the contemporary theme: people of all ethnic groups nationwide unite and forge ahead toward the grand goal of the Four Modernizations.

Strive to Scale the Heights of Science

Set against the backdrop of the profound cosmos, the atomic model occupies the centre of the frame. A red flag emerges from the outline of China’s map, sweeping through atomic orbits toward the vast outer space. It symbolises that China’s scientific and technological cause takes root at home while reaching out to the universe, resolved to catch up with world advanced standards and dare to push forward into cutting-edge scientific fields.

Souvenir Sheet
The souvenir sheet brings together all three stamps of the set on a single sheet. Its margin bears the inscription “National Science Conference · Beijing 1978”. With a solemn and elegant layout, it ranks among the well-known early JT souvenir sheets.

Artistic Features of the Design

All three stamps adopt a uniform vertical format in a poster-style decorative manner, with concise, compact compositions and highly recognisable symbolic scientific elements. The stamps are distinguished by clearly different base colours, bright hues and a strong sense of order. Photogravure printing yields clean, translucent colours and crisp lines. Released together with a souvenir sheet, this is one of the most significant science-themed stamp sets of the 1970s, carrying the iconic historical imagery of “the Spring of Science”.