Scott No: -
Serial number: 2023-24
Values in set: 5
Date of issue: November 8, 2023
Denomination: 600 fen
Designer: Ma Zhengshen
Size of stamps: 30 * 40 mm
Perforation: 13.5
Sheet composition: 12
Size of sheet: 158 * 157 mm
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

China Post is scheduled to issue a set of 5 commemorative stamps themed "Ancient Chinese Literati (V)" on November 8, 2023. The stamps feature the portraits of five literati, with their names as the design titles: Ouyang Xiu, Su Shi, Li Qingzhao, Lu You, and Xin Qiji. The total face value of the entire stamp set is 6.00 yuan, and the planned circulation is 7,403,500 sets.

Ouyang Xiu (1007–1072), courtesy name Yongshu, also known by his literary names "Zuiweng" (the Drunken Elder) and later "Liuyi Jushi" (the Scholar of Six Ones), was a native of Yongfeng, Jizhou (present-day Yongfeng County, Jiangxi Province). He was ranked among the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties" and the "Four Great Writers Through the Ages". As a leader of the literary reform movement in the Northern Song Dynasty, his works, such as Collected Works of Ouyang Wenzhonggong, have been passed down to later generations.

Su Shi (1037–1101), courtesy name Zizhan, literary name "Dongpo Jushi" (the Scholar of Dongpo), was a native of Meishan, Meizhou (present-day Meishan City, Sichuan Province). Together with his father Su Xun and younger brother Su Zhe, he was part of the "Three Su", all of whom were included in the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties". Su Shi excelled in poetry, ci (a traditional form of Chinese lyric poetry), and prose, and was a leading figure in the literary circle of the mid-Northern Song Dynasty. His representative works, including Seven Collections of Dongpo and Dongpo Yuefu (Dongpo's Ci Anthology), have been handed down through the ages.

Li Qingzhao (1084–c. 1155), literary name "Yi'an Jushi" (the Scholar of Yi'an), was a native of Zhangqiu, Jinan (present-day Zhangqiu District, Jinan City, Shandong Province). Known as the "No.1 Talented Woman Through the Ages", she was a representative ci poet of the graceful and restrained school in the Song Dynasty. She put forward the theory that "ci is a genre of its own" (differentiating ci from poetry in terms of style and expression). Her early ci works are characterized by fresh and elegant styles, while her later works are filled with sorrow for her turbulent life and sentimental tones. Her works were compiled by later generations into Shuyu Ci (Yi'an's Ci Anthology).

Lu You (1125–1210), courtesy name Wuguan, literary name "Fangweng" (the Uninhibited Elder), was a native of Shanyin, Yuezhou (present-day Shaoxing City, Zhejiang Province). He achieved remarkable success in poetry creation and was honored as one of the "Four Great Poets of the Southern Song Dynasty's Revival Period". His works, such as Jiannan Poetry Manuscripts and Weinan Prose Collection, have been preserved and passed down.

Xin Qiji (1140–1207), originally with the courtesy name Tanfu, later changed to You'an, and literary name "Jiaxuan Jushi" (the Scholar of Jiaxuan), was a native of Licheng (present-day Jinan City, Shandong Province). He was most accomplished in ci creation and a representative ci poet of the bold and unconstrained school in the Southern Song Dynasty. His ci works cover a wide range of themes, with a solemn, desolate, heroic, and bold style. His works, such as Jiaxuan Ci (Jiaxuan's Ci Anthology), have been handed down to posterity.

The stamps adopt the expressive style of Chinese ink-wash freehand figure painting, using lines to shape forms, convey spirits and emotions. The brushwork is vigorous and fluent, capturing both the appearance and the inner essence of the literati—bold in artistic conception yet meticulous in details—depicting the rich and profound inner worlds of these literary masters. This set of stamps was designed by Ma Zhensheng and printed by Beijing Stamp Factory Co., Ltd. using the photogravure process. Under an ultraviolet (UV) lamp, famous lines from poems and prose corresponding to the scenes and figures depicted on the stamps can be appreciated.