Scott No: 2984-85
Serial number: 1999-17
Values in set: 2
Denomination: 160 fen
Date of issue: 18 November 1999
Designers: Wang Hongwei and Yin Huili
Size: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5 * 11
Sheet composition: 50
Printing process: gravure
Printer: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing House

The commemorative stamp set Centenary of the Birth of Comrade Li Lisan was issued on November 18, 1999. It consists of two stamps with a total face value of 1.60 yuan. It was designed by Wang Hongwei and printed by Henan Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory using offset printing. The year 1999 marked the centenary of Li Lisan's birth. This stamp set commemorates the proletarian revolutionary and outstanding labor movement leader Li Lisan, recalling his life of struggle for the Chinese workers' movement and the cause of national liberation.

Li Lisan was an important early leader of the Communist Party of China and an outstanding leader of the workers' movement. In his early years, he went to France for work-study. After returning to China, he devoted himself to the revolution and led major workers' movements such as the Anyuan Railway and Mining Workers' Great Strike and the May Thirtieth Movement, leaving a brilliant chapter in the history of the Chinese workers' movement. The stamp set features two major themes: a youth portrait and the Anyuan workers' movement. One stamp captures Li Lisan's image in his youth, and the other recreates the historical scene of the Anyuan Railway and Mining Workers' Great Strike. It commemorates his outstanding contributions to the early workers' movement and carries forward the noble spirit of revolutionary pioneers who feared no sacrifice and pursued liberation.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Portrait of Comrade Li Lisan

The main image is a half-length portrait of young Li Lisan, with a simple background and his birth and death years, 1899–1967, inscribed. The portrait is taken from a historical old photograph, with a firm gaze, displaying the high-spirited character of young Li Lisan as he devoted himself to national salvation and revolution. Li Lisan was born in Liling, Hunan. In his early years, he sought a path to save the nation. After joining the Communist Party of China, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to the cause of workers' liberation.

Anyuan Railway and Mining Workers' Great Strike

The stamp depicts the grand scene of the Anyuan Railway and Mining Workers' Great Strike, with workers raising banners and marching bravely forward. In 1922, Li Lisan and Liu Shaoqi jointly led the Anyuan Railway and Mining Workers' Great Strike, achieving a major victory. The Anyuan strike was a model of the early workers' movement led by the Communist Party of China and greatly inspired the fighting spirit of workers across the country.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set is based on realistic creation from historical photographs. The tones are solemn and dignified, and the figures and scenes are simple and substantial. The offset printing provides soft layers, reproducing the era's texture of old photographs. The two stamps contrast a figure portrait and a major historical event. The figure and historical scene echo each other, vividly recreating Li Lisan's revolutionary achievements. It is a commemorative stamp in the category of red Party history figures.