Scott No: 1613-17
Serial number: T54, T54m
Values in set: 4 + 1
Date of issue: August 4, 1980
Denomination: 94 fen
Designer: Chen Xiaocun
Size of stamps: 31*38.5mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 50 (10*5)
Size of S/S: 70*146mm
Stamp of S/S: 52*93mm
Perforation: 11.5
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T54 "Lotus" special stamps were issued on August 4, 1980. The set consists of 4 stamps, printed by photogravure, with original paintings by Yu Zhizhen and Liu Lishang, designed by Chen Xiaocong, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 31 mm × 38.5 mm, perforation gauge 11.5, 50 stamps per sheet, with the souvenir sheet "New Lotuses Riding the Waves" issued simultaneously. The day of issue coincided with the twenty-fourth day of the sixth lunar month, the traditional folk birthday of the lotus.

Theme of the Set

The lotus, also called the water lily, is one of China's ten famous flowers. Since ancient times it has been endowed with the noble character of "rising from the mud yet unstained," and has been deeply loved by literati. This set selects four classic lotus varieties, including edible lotus and precious ornamental lotus, and uses the fine-brush heavy-color method to present the formal beauty of different lotus varieties. It is a classic work among flower-themed stamps.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

White Lotus

The image is the white lotus, with pure, clean white flowers and full lotus seed pods. It is a traditional edible lotus variety, both ornamental and productive of lotus seeds and lotus root, with a refined, plain temperament.

Bicolor Snow

The image is Bicolor Snow, a multi-colored ornamental lotus. The petals are white with a light red wash, with warm, soft colors, and flowers and leaves paired, with an elegant charm.

Buddha's Seat Lotus

The image is the Buddha's Seat Lotus, with layer upon layer of petals and a neat, dignified flower form like a lotus pedestal. It is a traditional double-petaled ornamental lotus, and the name "Buddha's Seat Lotus" carries the meaning of purity and peace.

Changing Beauty

The image is Changing Beauty. This variety's flower color changes during blooming, with different colors at first opening, full bloom, and later stages; the image captures the gorgeous posture of the flower in full bloom.

Souvenir Sheet: New Lotuses Riding the Waves

Set off by a large expanse of spreading lotus leaves, a single lotus in full bloom occupies the center, with a budding flower beside it, the water surface clear and moist, and the artistic conception ethereal and fresh—a classic scene of a lotus pond in the morning.

Artistic Design Features

The set is in the fine-brush heavy-color Chinese painting style, with warm, elegant colors, and the texture of ink and mineral pigments is well embodied on the stamps. The four stamps are, in sequence, White Lotus, Bicolor Snow, Buddha's Seat Lotus, and Changing Beauty, with clearly distinguished varieties and rich layers from plain white to brilliant red. The blank space is clean, with emphasis on the postures of the lotuses and leaves, without superfluous complicated scenery, preserving the quiet, restrained artistic conception of traditional flower-and-bird painting. This set was voted the Best Special Stamp of 1980.