Scott No: 2016-17
Serial number: J122
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: November 5, 1985
Denomination: 28 fen
Designers: Lu Tianjiao
Size of stamps: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 50 (10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J122 "90th Anniversary of the Birth of Zou Taofen" commemorative stamps were issued on November 5, 1985. The set consists of 2 stamps, printed by photogravure, in a horizontal two-stamp se-tenant format, designed by Lu Tianjiao, and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory.

Theme of the Set

Zou Taofen was an outstanding Chinese journalist and publisher and a patriotic democratic fighter. This set commemorates the 90th anniversary of Zou Taofen's birth, honoring his life of actively promoting resistance against Japan and national salvation and pursuing democracy and progress with newspapers and periodicals as his battleground, and at the same time using Comrade Zhou Enlai's inscription to point out the revolutionary path of the progressive intellectuals he represented, carrying forward his lofty spirit of cherishing the homeland and upholding truth.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Portrait of Zou Taofen

The image is a portrait of Zou Taofen, wearing glasses, with a calm and refined expression. Throughout his life Zou Taofen edited progressive publications such as Life Weekly, founded the Life Bookstore, actively devoted himself to the national salvation movement, and awakened the people with his writings. He was a pioneer of progressive journalism.

Handwriting of Zhou Enlai's Inscription Commemorating Zou Taofen

The image shows Zhou Enlai's handwritten inscription for Zou Taofen: "The path traversed by Comrade Zou Taofen is the path of Chinese intellectuals moving toward progress and toward revolution." This inscription highly summarizes Zou Taofen's life course and is an affirmation of his lifelong revolutionary pursuit.

Artistic Design Features

The two stamps are in a se-tenant format, with a unified manuscript-paper texture background that fits the industry attributes of journalism and publishing. One stamp is a figure portrait, with warm and dignified tones; the other is a calligraphic inscription, with antique and powerful brushwork. The text and image echo each other, the style is elegant and restrained, and the narrative is concise. It is a very distinctive set among stamps on cultural celebrities.