Scott No: 2911-15
Serial number: 1998-24
Values in set: 5
Date of issue: November 14, 1998
Designers: Chen Xiaocong; Wei Chuyu;Ji Hongmin
Size of stamp: 50*30mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 40
Printing process: offset

The commemorative stamp set Commemoration of the Three Great Campaigns of the War of Liberation, catalog number 1998-24, was issued on November 14, 1998. It consists of five stamps, produced using offset printing. The stamps measure 50×30 mm, with a perforation gauge of 12 degrees. Each sheet contains 40 stamps. The stamps were designed by Chen Xiaocong, Wei Chuyu, and Ji Hongmin, with original paintings by Yin Rongsheng, Ren Mengzhang, Chen Qi, Cui Kaixi, and others. They were printed by Shenyang Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory in Liaoning Province.

This stamp set commemorates the 50th anniversary of the victory of the three great campaigns: Liaoshen, Huaihai, and Pingjin. From September 1948 to January 1949, the People's Liberation Army successively launched the three great strategic decisive campaigns, annihilating and reorganizing more than 1.5 million Nationalist main forces, fundamentally changing the balance of power between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party and laying a decisive foundation for the liberation of the whole country. From multiple perspectives—central command, battlefield assault, and civilian support—the stamps recreate the magnificent historical scroll of the three great campaigns, commemorating the revolutionary martyrs and remembering the great victory of the people's war.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Strategic Planning

The image is based on a historical oil painting, depicting the leaders of the Central Military Commission at Xibaipo planning and studying the war situation. The Party Central Committee, grounded in the overall situation, coordinated and commanded the Northeast, Central Plains, and North China battlefields. It was the core command center for the victory of the three great campaigns, displaying the revolutionary leaders' far-sighted strategic wisdom.

Capturing Jinzhou

The image recreates the fierce battle of the Jinzhou assault during the Liaoshen Campaign. Jinzhou was the throat of Northeast China. Capturing Jinzhou achieved the strategic goal of "closing the door to beat the dog," making it a key battle of the Liaoshen Campaign. PLA soldiers charged bravely and captured the city walls. After this battle, the entire Northeast was liberated.

Decisive Battle at Huaihai

The design shows the fierce battlefield fighting of the Huaihai Campaign. The Huaihai Campaign was the campaign with the largest number of enemy troops annihilated among the three great campaigns. The battlefield centered on Xuzhou. The PLA engaged in a large-scale decisive battle with the enemy on the vast plains, crushing the main Nationalist forces and laying the foundation for the liberation of the area north of the Yangtze River.

Liberation of Beiping

The image depicts the grand scene of the PLA entering the city after the peaceful liberation of Beiping. In the Pingjin Campaign, our side combined military pressure with peaceful negotiations to bring about the peaceful uprising of Beiping, completely preserving this thousand-year-old ancient capital. The people lined the streets to welcome the entering troops, bearing witness to the victorious liberation of the North China region.

Supporting the Front

The image depicts the scene of the broad masses pushing handcarts and transporting supplies to support the front. The victory of the three great campaigns was inseparable from the wholehearted support of millions of people. Countless civilians joined the support teams, sending grain, fodder, and ammunition continuously to the front, vividly interpreting the deep roots of the people's war.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set is printed based on classic revolutionary historical oil paintings. The scenes are grand, with numerous figures and strong tension in the war scenes. The five stamps have a complete narrative logic, from the strategic planning of the highest command to the bloody decisive battles on the three main battlefields, and then to the rear support of the people, presenting the three great campaigns in an all-round and three-dimensional manner. The colors are rich and intense, reproducing the vigorous and substantial artistic texture of oil paintings. It is a representative work in the category of red revolutionary history stamps.