Scott No: 1498-99
Serial number: J44
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: October 1, 1979
Denomination: 16 fen
Designer: Wan Weisheng
Size of stamps: 62*26mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 40(4*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J44 "The 30th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China (Series I)" commemorative stamps were issued on October 1, 1979. The set consists of 2 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Wan Weisheng, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 62 mm × 36 mm, perforation gauge 11.5, 40 stamps per sheet.

Theme of the Set

1979 marked the 30th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications issued commemorative stamps in five series, and this group is the first series, taking the five-star red flag as its core theme. After thirty years of trials, New China was striding forward from a new starting point of reform and opening up. This set uses the national flag as its carrier to praise the motherland and to carry the beautiful wishes of the people of the whole country to unite and strive to build a modern powerful country.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

National Flag

In the design, the five-star red flag spreads out in the wind, with blue sky and white clouds in the background and a rainbow spanning the sky, with a clear, bright tone, symbolizing the bright and beautiful prospects of the motherland.

National Flag

The five-star red flag flies above lofty mountains and ridges, with the winding Great Wall in the background and magnificent mountains and rivers, implying the motherland's long history and splendid landscape and highlighting the dignity and foundation of the nation.

Artistic Design Features

The set uniformly adopts a horizontal long stamp format, highlighting the dynamism of the red flag spreading and fluttering. The main subjects of both designs are the national flag, distinguished by their background imagery—one a clear sky with a rainbow, one the Great Wall and mountains—one symbolizing hope, the other symbolizing foundation. The red flag is bright and dignified, and the colors are clean and imposing. The photogravure printing has saturated, soft colors. The set is simple and dignified, and it is the opening work of the 30th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China series.