Scott No: -
Serial number: 2013-4
Values in set: 1
Date of issue: March 5, 2013
Denomination: 120 fen
Designer: Dong Qi
Size of stamps: 30 * 40 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition:
16 for Sheet I;
6 for Sheet II
Size of sheet:
152 * 200 mm for Sheet I;
110 * 130 mm for Sheet II
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

The 2013-4 "12th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China" stamp is a commemorative stamp issued by China Post on March 5, 2013. The set consists of one stamp with a face value of 1.20 yuan. The design features a ballot box as the main subject, with the interior of the Great Hall of the People in the background, and peony patterns decorating the lower section.

The first session of the 12th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China was formally convened in Beijing on March 5, 2013. This was an important assembly held during a critical phase as China entered the period of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The key agenda items included hearing and deliberating the government work report, reviewing and approving national economic and social development plans, deliberating the State Council institutional reform plan, and electing a new group of national leaders. It was a central political event in the lives of the Chinese people that year.

China Post chose to issue this commemorative stamp on the opening day of the session, using the stamp as a special cultural medium to record this important historical moment. The stamp serves as a unique paper collectible witnessing the convening of the 12th NPC, carrying both commemorative significance and historical documentary value.

The stamp features a red ballot box bearing the national emblem as its central subject. This image directly corresponds to the core meaning of people's representatives exercising their democratic rights and being masters of the country, and serves as the visual focal point of the stamp. Below the ballot box, traditional line-drawing peony patterns are used to frame the design. The peony, as China's national flower, helps create a solemn yet celebratory atmosphere, symbolizing the vitality and prosperity of the democratic system.

The background depicts the interior of the Great Hall of the People's grand auditorium, viewed from the perspective of a delegate's seat looking toward the podium. This composition faithfully recreates the scene of the first session of the 12th NPC while offering a fresh perspective on the unique architectural beauty and spatial layering of the Great Hall, allowing viewers to feel as if they are on site and enhancing the immersive quality of the image.

The stamp uses historical gold and festive red as its primary color palette. The warm, rich hues are well-suited to the solemn nature of a major political meeting while also evoking the festive atmosphere of this grand occasion. The stamp is inscribed with "中国邮政CHINA" and features multi-colored starburst fluorescent anti-counterfeiting marks on the back. The meticulous attention to detail and rigorous standards are consistent with the design requirements for commemorative stamps of major national events.