Scott No: 1677-1678
Serial number: J63
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: April 29, 1981
Denomination: 68 fen
Designer: Wan Weisheng
Size of stamps: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 20 (4*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J63 "Postage Stamp Exhibition of the People's Republic of China · Japan" commemorative stamps were issued on April 29, 1981. The set consists of 2 stamps, printed by photogravure, designed by Wan Weisheng, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 30 mm × 40 mm, perforation gauge 11.5 × 11, 20 stamps per sheet, with SB (5) stamp booklet issued simultaneously.

Theme of the Set

This set was issued to congratulate the holding in Japan of the Postage Stamp Exhibition of the People's Republic of China. The exhibition was jointly sponsored by the China Stamp Company and the Japan Philatelic Society, opening first in Kobe and then touring Nagoya and Tokyo. The exhibition gathered stamps from the Qing dynasty, the Republic of China, the liberated areas, and New China, as well as precious collections such as postal artifacts, original stamp paintings, and original engraving plates. It was an important international philatelic cultural exchange activity of China in the early period of reform and opening up. Centered on friendly exchange, the stamps use cultural symbols familiar to both countries to express the theme of mutual communication in philatelic culture and people-to-people friendly exchanges.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Flower of Friendship

At the center of the design is the national treasure, the giant panda. The panda is regarded as an envoy of friendship and was the Chinese image with the highest international recognition at the time. Around it are paired several color blocks of different colors and shapes imitating the outlines of stamps, dotted with cherry blossom patterns, and the stamp is marked with the words "1981 Japan," implying that philately serves as a bond conveying the friendly sentiments between China and Japan.

Close Neighbors Separated by a Strip of Water

The design uses blue water ripples to represent the sea that the two countries face across from each other, and depicts an ancient ship sailing eastward, symbolizing the long history of Sino-Japanese cultural exchange. Above is paired a paper-cut-style rooster pattern, corresponding to the Xinyou Year of the Rooster in 1981, indicating the year the exhibition was held. The combination of the ship and the rooster interprets the historical origins of the two countries as close neighbors separated by a strip of water with a long history of interaction.

Artistic Design Features

The set has a novel composition, using the perforated outline of stamps as a decorative element in the picture, with lively, bright colors and a strong modern feel. The two stamps have a clear division of labor: one uses the panda to highlight friendship, the other uses the ancient ship to look back at history; the images are accessible and easy for overseas audiences to understand. The layout is simple and generous, balancing the thematic nature of commemorating the stamp exhibition with the function of external cultural dissemination. It is a representative stamp on the theme of Sino-Japanese philatelic exchange.