Scott No: 1685
Serial number: J70
Values in set: 1
Date of issue: May 9, 1981
Denomination: 8 fen
Designer: Sun Chuanzhe
Size of stamps: 27 * 40 mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 56
Printing process: Engraving and photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J70 "Mail Connecting Ten Thousand Li, Tied to the Nation's Lifeblood" commemorative stamp was issued on May 9, 1981. The set consists of 1 stamp, printed by photogravure, designed by Sun Chuanzhe, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size 40 mm × 27 mm, perforation gauge 11, 56 stamps per sheet.

Theme of the Set

This stamp is based on the handwritten inscription of Premier Zhou Enlai. In 1940, Zhou Enlai inscribed "Mail Connecting Ten Thousand Li, Tied to the Nation's Lifeblood" for Mr. Lin Zhuowu, who was devoted to wartime postal communications, affirming the important value of postal communications in sustaining the country and connecting the hearts of the people. Issuing this stamp forty-one years later both commemorates this inscription and praises the important position of postal undertakings, while also carrying the beautiful vision of postal interconnection and smooth information flow. It is a commemorative stamp set of great historical weight on the postal theme.

Stamp Design and Historical Background

Mail Connecting Ten Thousand Li, Tied to the Nation's Lifeblood

The design uses a light gray subtle pattern as the background. The central subject is the eight large characters of Zhou Enlai's running-script inscription "Mail Connecting Ten Thousand Li, Tied to the Nation's Lifeblood," with vigorous and free brushwork. On the left are the signature, seal, and date, preserving the calligraphic appearance of the handwritten inscription. Below the stamp are printed the words "China People's Post" and the year of issuance. The original inscription included the name of the recipient; this was omitted when the stamp was selected, highlighting the inscription's summarizing significance for postal undertakings themselves.

Artistic Design Features

The design is simple and restrained, without superfluous decoration, taking the handwritten calligraphy as the core of the picture and integrating calligraphic art with the postal theme. The light background sets off the black characters, dignified and elegant, antique and imposing. The layout is clean with ample blank space, focusing on highlighting the power of the inscription's text itself and relying on the calligraphy itself to convey the thematic meaning. It is a classic representative of New China's calligraphic-inscription stamps.