Scott No: 2889-93
Serial number: 1998-18
Values in set: 4
Souvenir sheet:
1
Date of issue: August 26, 1998
Designers: Dai Honghai
Size of stamp:
54*40 mm for Value 1, 3
40*54 mm for Value 2, 4
Size of S/S: 182*65 mm
Size of S/S stamp: 162*40 mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 20
Printing process: gravure

The special stamp set Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Literature – Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Part V), catalog number 1998-18, was issued on August 26, 1998. It consists of four stamps and one souvenir sheet, produced using the photogravure process. The stamps come in two sizes: 54×40 mm and 40×54 mm, with a perforation gauge of 11 degrees. Each sheet contains 20 stamps. The souvenir sheet stamp measures 162×40 mm, and the souvenir sheet measures 182×60 mm. The stamps were designed by Dai Honghai and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works.

This set is the concluding work of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms stamp series. It features classic stories from Chapters 85 to 120 of the novel, focusing on the historical chapters of the late Shu Han period, from its decline to the unification of the realm by Jin. The stamps connect the complete narrative of the entrustment of the orphan, the northern expeditions, the death, and the unification, recreating the tragic concluding passages of the Three Kingdoms story. Through stamps, it interprets the ending of the famous novel, completing a ten-year-long Three Kingdoms-themed stamp series.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Entrusting the Orphan at Baidi

The image depicts the scene in the Yong'an Palace where Liu Bei, gravely ill, entrusts his affairs to Zhuge Liang. After the defeat at Yiling, Liu Bei retreated to Baidi City. Knowing his time was short, he entrusted the crown prince Liu Shan and the great cause of Shu to Zhuge Liang, instructing him to assist if the young lord was capable, but to take the throne himself if the young lord was incompetent. Zhuge Liang tearfully accepted the command. It is a crucial moment in the history of Shu Han.

Zhuge Liang Returns in Triumph

The design shows Zhuge Liang leading his army back after a victorious northern expedition. Zhuge Liang had won over Jiang Wei and, during the expedition, publicly denounced Wang Lang to death. The army returns in triumph, with soldiers in formation and Zhuge Liang standing before the troops, fully displaying the Chancellor's strategic brilliance and his aspiration to restore the Han Dynasty.

Autumn Wind at Wuzhang Plains

The image depicts the military camp at Wuzhang Plains. Zhuge Liang lies ill in his tent, with the autumn wind bleak outside. Years of northern expeditions had worn him down, and he fell gravely ill at the Wuzhang Plains camp, his wishes unfulfilled. His star fell at Wuzhang Plains, making it one of the most tragically lamented passages in the Three Kingdoms story.

The Three Kingdoms Unite Under Jin

The design centers on Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, with the last rulers of Wei, Shu, and Wu bowing in submission. Sima Yan established the Western Jin Dynasty and successively pacified various factions, ending decades of tripartite conflict and completing the unification of the realm, confirming the novel's historical lament: "The empire, long divided, must unite."

Souvenir Sheet: The Empty City Strategy

The image recreates the classic scene of the empty city of Xicheng. On the city tower, Zhuge Liang burns incense and plays the qin, the city gates are wide open, and soldiers are sweeping the ground. Outside the city, Sima Yi's massive army presses in. Zhuge Liang remains calm in the face of danger, using his extraordinary courage to repel the enemy army. It is one of the most legendary and classic passages in Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Artistic and Design Features

The set continues Dai Honghai's gongbi (meticulous brushwork) and rich-color painting style. The figures are simple and expressive, with delicate and flowing lines. The characters' clothing, interior furnishings, and military banners are based on Han Dynasty styles, with rich and elegant colors. The four stamps alternate between horizontal and vertical formats, with the narrative advancing layer by layer, from the entrustment between ruler and minister to the unification of the realm, fully unfolding the story's conclusion. The souvenir sheet uses a long horizontal composition, using the open spatial contrast to highlight the tense atmosphere of the Empty City Strategy. It is in the same artistic vein as the previous four sets of Romance of the Three Kingdoms stamps, bringing the entire Three Kingdoms series to a complete conclusion.