Scott No: 2990-91
Serial number: 1999-19
Values in set: 2
Denomination: 160 fen
Date of issue: 29 December 1999
Designers: Wei Chuyu and Yin Huili
Size: 30*40mm
Perforation: 12
Sheet composition: 50
Printing process : offset
Printer: Shenyang Posts and Telecommunications Printing Works

The commemorative stamp set Centenary of the Birth of Comrade Nie Rongzhen was issued on December 29, 1999. It consists of two stamps with a total face value of 1.60 yuan. It was designed by Wei Chuyu and Yin Huili and printed by Shenyang Post and Telecommunications Printing Factory in Liaoning Province using offset printing. The year 1999 marked the centenary of Marshal Nie Rongzhen's birth. This stamp set commemorates the great proletarian revolutionary and military strategist and the main founder of New China's national defense science and technology cause, recalling his glorious life of military campaigns and forging shields for the nation.

Thematic Focus of the Set

Nie Rongzhen was a founding marshal of the People's Republic of China. During the revolutionary war years, he established the Jin-Cha-Ji Anti-Japanese Base Area and commanded many important campaigns, making outstanding contributions to national liberation and the founding of New China. After the founding of the nation, he presided over and led the major national defense scientific research projects of the "Two Bombs, One Satellite," organizing a large number of researchers to overcome difficulties and laying the foundation for China's cutting-edge national defense technology. The stamp set features two images: a portrait in marshal's uniform and his later years devoted to science and technology. One shows his military bearing, and the other reflects his contributions as a leader in science and technology. It commemorates the marshal's enduring achievements in both civil and military affairs and in strengthening the nation.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Marshal Nie Rongzhen

The main image is a half-length portrait of Marshal Nie Rongzhen in marshal's ceremonial attire, with his birth and death years, 1899–1992, inscribed. His expression is solemn and resolute, displaying the majestic and composed military bearing of a founding marshal. Nie Rongzhen went to France for work-study in his early years and devoted himself to the revolution. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he opened up the Jin-Cha-Ji Anti-Japanese Base Area and was a core leader of the North China anti-Japanese battlefield, making great contributions to the victory of the War of Resistance.

Outstanding Leader in Science and Technology

The stamp features a seated portrait of Nie Rongzhen in his later years, with a rocket launch silhouette faintly visible in the background. After the founding of New China, Nie Rongzhen long oversaw national defense science and technology work, organizing and leading the research and testing of the atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb, and artificial satellite. He led the scientific research team to complete the great cause of "Two Bombs, One Satellite," building a solid barrier for national defense security. He is known as the outstanding guide of New China's national defense science and technology cause.

Artistic and Design Features

The stamp set uses realistic figure painting. The tones are steady and substantial, and the figures are expressive. The second stamp ingeniously incorporates rocket elements, highlighting the theme of national defense science and technology. The offset printing provides delicate images, with rich layers in the portraits. The two stamps echo each other, recording the marshal's military career and his scientific and technological achievements after the founding of the nation. It is a commemorative stamp in the red theme series of founding marshals.