T8 -- Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius

Criticize Lin Biao (林彪) and Confucius is one of the last political propaganda campaigns of China's Cultural Revolution era.

It was started by Mao Zedong (毛泽东) and his wife, Jiang Qing (江青), the leader of the gang of Four (四人帮).  It lasted from 1973 until the end of the Cultural Revolution, in 1976.

On July 4,1973, during a conversation with Wang Hongwen (王洪文) and Zhang Chunqiao (张春桥), Mao Zedong mentioned that Lin Biao and Kuomindang (国民党) both respected Confucius and are against the constitution.   On August 7, the People's Daily released the article  "Confucius-A Thinker Who Stubbornly Upheld the Slave System" 《孔子——顽固地维护奴隶制的思想家》, written by Yang Rongguo (杨荣国) and approved by Mao Zedong.

On Jan.18,1974, "Lin Biao and the thought of Confucius and Mengzi" 《林彪与孔孟之道》, a selection of essays by Beijing University and Tsinghua University under Jiang Qing's direction was transmitted as the document of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and approved by Mao Zedong.

Then the propaganda campaign "Criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius" was launched across the whole nation.

On August 20, 1975, China issued a set of stamps commemorating the propaganda campaign "Criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius".  The set of 4 stamps are:

(4-1) 8 fen, Workers criticizing  《千秋功罪，我们评说》
(4-2) 8 fen, Peasants criticizing  《生产队长》
(4-3) 8 fen, Soldier criticizing  《边疆作战》
(4-4) 8 fen, A liberated slave criticizing  《翻身奴隶上战场，批林批孔当闯将》

(4-1)【Workers criticizing】This stamp design used a painting by Liu Yan Sheng (刘延生) and Hou Jie (侯杰) -- "Mass Revolutionary Criticism"《千秋功罪，我们评说》, completed about August 1970, at Beijing Xishan Mining Affairs Bureau.  The painting showed a miner stepping up on stage to give a speech criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius, while others miners were paying full attention on the speaker and his speech.

(4-2)【Peasants criticizing】This stamp design used a painting by Xiao Sirui (肖斯锐)  -- "Leader of a Production Brigade"《生产队长》.  The painting showed the peasants in the act of drafting posters criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius.

(4-3)【Soldier criticizing】This stamp design used a painting by Shang Ding (尚丁) -- "The Battle Continues"《边疆作战》.  The painting showed a soldier writing essay criticizing Lin Biao and Confucius.  The soldier sat at the side of a tank with a red Ma Zedong booklet beside him.

(4-4)【A liberated slave criticizing 】This stamp design used a propaganda painting by Qian Laizhong (钱来忠) -- "A liberated slave becomes a pioneer to critcize Lin Biao and Confucius  " 《翻身奴隶上战场，批林批孔当闯将》.  The painting portrayed a liberated slave giving a speech from a "Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius" essay.  He was carrying a rifle on his back and the background has numerous people and red flags.

 

All the four stamps also included the message "Broaden, deepen and persevere in the movement to Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius" (把批林批孔运动普及、深入、持久地进行下去).

T8–Criticize Lin Biao and Confucius 把批林批孔运动普及、深入、持久地进行下去 Issue Date: 1975.8.20
Serial Number:	T8
Scott No.:	1228-1231
Michel No.:	1238-1241
Number of stamps in Set:	4
Denomination:	8 fen for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Quantity of Issue:	5,000,000 for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4
Perforation:	Stamp 1, 2 -- P11½ X 11 Stamp 3, 4 - P11 X 11½
Sheet Composition:	Stamp 1, 2 -- 50（10 X 5） Stamp 3, 4 -- 50（5 X 10）
Size of stamps:	Stamp 1, 2 -- 30 X 40 mm Stamp 3, 4 -- 40 X 30 mm
Original Artists	Stamp 1 - Liu Yan Sheng刘延生, Hou Jie侯杰 Stamp 2 -- Xiao Sirui  肖斯锐 Stamp 3 -- Shang Ding  尚丁 Stamp 4 -- Qian Laizhong  钱来忠
Designer:	Liu Shuoren  刘硕仁
Printing Process:	Photogravure
Printing House:	Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works