Scott No: 529-530
Serial number: C83
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: September 2, 1960
Denomination: 16 fen
Designer: Liu Shuoren
Size of stamps:
36*25.5mm for Value 1;
25.5*36mm for Value 2
Perforation:
11*11.5 for Value 1;
11.5*11 for Value 2
Sheet composition:
50(5*10) for Value 1;
50(10*5) for Value 2
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

C83 "Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of the Founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam" commemorative stamps were issued by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications on September 2, 1960. The set consists of 2 stamps, designed by Liu Shuoren, printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory by photogravure, with gum applied to the back of the entire set. The first stamp measures 36 mm × 25.5 mm, perforation gauge 11 × 11.5, 50 stamps per sheet, layout 5 × 10; the second stamp measures 25.5 mm × 36 mm, perforation gauge 11.5 × 11, 50 stamps per sheet, layout 10 × 5. The total face value of the set is 0.16 yuan. Both stamps are 8 fen, each with a circulation of 5.4 million copies. On September 2, 1945, Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence at Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, proclaiming the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam; this set commemorates the fifteenth anniversary of the founding of the country.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

China-Vietnam Friendship

With decorative curved ribbons as the background, the design places side by side the national flag of the People's Republic of China and the national flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam above the ribbons; below the ribbons are the portraits of two young girls wearing red scarves, representing the youth of the two countries respectively, and the years "1945–1960" are marked on the stamp.
The images of youth symbolize that the friendship between the two countries is passed down from generation to generation and that the "comrades plus brothers" friendship continues enduringly. China and Vietnam are connected by mountains and rivers and supported each other in the struggle against colonial oppression and for national independence; this stamp concentrates on expressing the profound friendly relations between the peoples of the two countries.

Hoan Kiem Lake

The design shows the Turtle Tower in the middle of Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, with clear lake water, palm trees surrounding the banks, and a red flag flying atop the tower. Hoan Kiem Lake is a landmark scenic spot of Hanoi, carrying Vietnamese native legends and being a symbol of the Vietnamese capital.
Legend says that when Le Loi raised troops against the enemy he received a divine sword, and after victory he returned the divine sword to the divine turtle in the lake, hence the lake's name. The design selects this classic landmark to present Vietnam's own scenery, representing the territory and national culture of Vietnam after independence.

Artistic Design Features

The set consists of one horizontal and one vertical stamp, with a varied composition: one focuses on bilateral friendship, the other presents Vietnam's landmark scenery, echoing each other internally and externally. The style is a typical decorative printmaking style, with clean lines and generalized forms; the ribbons, trees, and buildings are all simplified and refined, without complicated, fragmented depiction. The photogravure colors are warm and bright, and the pictures are bright and friendly.