Scott No: 1299-1302
Serial number: T11
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: December 26, 1976
Denomination: 30 fen
Designer: Xu Yanbo
Size of stamps: 60*30mm
Perforation: 11*11.5
Sheet composition: 30(3*10)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Issued on 26 December 1976, the set contains four stamps, printed in photogravure, designed by Xu Yanbo and produced by Beijing Stamp Factory. Stamp size: 60mm × 30mm; perforation: 11 × 11.5; sheet composition: 30 stamps (3 × 10); total face value: RMB 0.30 yuan. (4-1) 4 fen, print run of 10 million; (4-2) 8 fen, print run of 10 million; (4-3) 8 fen, print run of 5 million; (4-4) 10 fen, print run of 2 million. The release date marked the 83rd anniversary of the birth of Comrade Mao Zedong.

Main Theme of the Set

Shaoshan is the hometown of Comrade Mao Zedong and an important birthplace of the Hunan Peasant Movement, preserving red memories of the early revolution. This set features four representative sites in Shaoshan: the former residence of the great leader, the former site of the peasant night school, the former site of the Peasant Association, and Shaoshan Railway Station. It links revolutionary historical relics with transportation construction of the new era, recalling the glorious course of the Shaoshan Peasant Movement during the Great Revolution. Meanwhile, it shows improved transport links to this revolutionary sacred place, making it easier for visitors from all over the country to come and pay homage. The stamps embody the people’s deep affection for remembering the great leader and carrying forward the revolutionary spirit.

Stamp Designs and Historical Context

Former Residence of Chairman Mao in Shaoshan

The stamp presents a full view of Chairman Mao’s former residence in Shaoshan Chong. It is a southern Chinese farmhouse compound of earth-and-timber construction, with white walls and dark grey tiles. A clear pond lies in front of the house, and green bamboos and pines surround it. This is where Mao Zedong was born and grew up, and also where he began rural investigations and mobilised the masses in his early years. The tone is mild and elegant, creating a tranquil and solemn atmosphere.

Former Site of the Shaoshan Peasant Night School

The central motif is the Mao Clan Ancestral Hall, the simple and stately gatehouse of which served as the former site of the Shaoshan Peasant Night School. During the Great Revolution, Mao Zedong founded the peasant night school here, expounding revolutionary principles and spreading progressive ideas to local farmers to awaken their consciousness. It was an important ideological base for launching the peasant movement. Trees surround the ancestral hall, setting a red commemorative mood.

Former Site of the Shaoshan Peasant Association

The stamp depicts the Mao Jian Ancestral Hall, the office venue of the Shaoshan Peasant Association in that period. After its founding, the Peasant Association organised peasants to fight against oppression. It functioned as the grassroots command centre of the Hunan Peasant Movement, marking that peasant masses had organised themselves and joined the revolutionary tide. The compound is spacious, with green trees and mountain flowers in the background.

Shaoshan Railway Station

The stamp shows the station building of Shaoshan Railway Station, with a modern, graceful structure and a spacious square in front, where travellers pass in orderly fashion. The opening of the railway shortened the distance between Shaoshan and all parts of the country, making it convenient for workers, peasants and people from all walks of life to visit and study in Shaoshan. It symbolises the close bond between this revolutionary sacred land and the whole nation.

Artistic Features of the Design

All four stamps adopt a uniform horizontal elongated format in a realistic landscape style, dominated by fresh and soft tones of teal green and grey-brown. There are no striking propaganda slogans; the design focuses on faithfully capturing the appearance of the buildings themselves. The first three stamps centre on revolutionary relics, looking back at the historical foundation of the early Shaoshan Peasant Movement. The last one turns to modern transport infrastructure, echoing the progress of the times, forming a dialogue between past and present. Photogravure printing renders clear architectural outlines and delicate layers of trees and distant scenery, with clean and restrained imagery.