T34 - New Outlook of Water Country

Generally, Water Country (水乡) in China means the south of Yangtze River, where there are a lot of rivers and lakes.  For example, Taihu Lake in Jiangsu Province.

Water Country follows the directive "Take grain as the key link and ensure an all-round development" (“以粮为纲，全面发展”).  Through implementing Farm Mechanization and scientific farming technique, the people of Water Country started on the road to prosperity.

On November 30, 1978, the Ministry of the Posts and Telecommunications of People's Republic of China released a set of stamps, arranged in a block of five, depicting an entire landscape of the new Taihu water country.

(5-1) 8 fen, Transplanting rice seedlings with machine  机械插秧
(5-2) 8 fen, Spraying  喷灌
(5-3) 8 fen, Selection of seeds  选种
(5-4) 8 fen, Thriving trades  五业兴旺
(5-5) 8 fen, Happily delivering public grains  喜送公粮


(5-1)【Transplanting rice seedlings with machine】 This stamp depicts the farmers using machines transplanting rice in the paddy field in Taihu, showing the mechanization level in the water country.
 
(5-2)【Spraying】 This stamp depicts the farmers using spraying irrigation on their paddy fields in Taihu.
 
(5-3)【Selection of seeds】This stamp depicts the farmers doing seed selection in their paddy fields in Taihu.

(5-4)【Thriving trades】 This stamp depicts the thriving trades activities in the water country of Taihu.

(5-5)【Happily delivering public grains】 This stamp depicts the transportation of public grains in the water country of Taihu.
 

T34 – New Outlook of Water Country  水乡新貌 Issue Date: 1978.11.30
Serial Number:	T34
Scott Number:	1453-1457
Michel Number:	1463-1467
Number of stamps in Set:	5
Denomination:	8 fen for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4,5
Quantity of Issue:	6,000,000 for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Perforation:	P11½
Sheet Composition:	40 (10 X 4) for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Size of stamps:	31 X 52 mm for stamp 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Designer:	Cheng Chuanli 程传理
Printing Process:	Photogravure
Printing House:	Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T33 - Traditional Silk Paintings from an Ancient Tomb of the Warring States Period, Changsha

Silk Paintings of the Warring States Period (475–221 BC), were paintings done on silk materials and were used on funeral occasions.  During the funeral procession, the painting was held up in front of the coffin, which was said to bring comfort and calmness to the soul of the death.  When they were unearthed from Tomb of Chu State (楚), the silk paintings were flatly laid upon the partition between the inner coffin and the outer coffin.

These silk paintings are one of the earliest silk paintings discovered in China and are acclaimed as national treasures.  To showcase these silk painting arts to the world, the Ministry of the Posts and Telecommunications of People's Republic of China released a set of two stamps on March 29, 1979.



(2-1) 8 fen, Silk Painting of Lady, Phoenix and Dragon   龙凤引魂升仙帛画
(2-2) 60 fen, Silk painting of Man riding a dragon  人物驭龙帛画


(2-1)【Silk Painting of Lady, Phoenix and Dragon】 This painting has the following dimensions: Length: 31 cm, Width: 22.5 cm.  It was excavated from Tomb of Chu State during the Warring States, Chenjia Mountain (陈家大山楚墓), Changsha, Hunan Province, in February 1949; among scattered cultural relics which survived tomb robberies.  

In the middle of the painting is a slender woman wearing a long skirt, so long in fact that it touches the ground.  Her eyes looking straight forward and one of her arms raising upward, as if in praying.  Unfortunately, this part of the painting is blurred, and we have no idea whether she has anything in her hand.  Her wide sleeves and hanging belts seem to have been decorated with flowering patterns.  To her right appears a phoenix that raises its head and seems to be in flight.  A dragon-like animal with sharp claws appears to the left of the phoenix.  The superstitious belief of that time is the phoenix and the dragon are leading the soul of the dead to heaven.

The drawing has lines drawn in traditional ink and brush style (a kind of Chinese outline drawing) and freehand brushwork (a type of Chinese painting that relies on free strokes and shuns details) give to the vividness of the lady, dragon and phoenix.  The dragon and phoenix are in dynamic movements while the lady is in a static posture, presenting the strong effect of sharp contrast.  This painting is now kept at Hunan Provincial Museum.　


(2-2)【Silk Painting of Man riding a dragon】 This painting has the following dimensions: Length: 37 cm, Width: 28 cm.  The silk cloth is in dark brow colour with flat-line pattern.  It was excavated from No. 1 Tomb, Zidanku, Changsha (子弹库楚墓), Hunan Province, in 1973. 

In the drawing, a short-haired man with a sword who dresses well is riding a dragon by holding the rein.  Looking like a member of the nobility, he is riding a dragon (or a dragon boat) underneath a flowering umbrella.  The presence of a large fish on the lower left of the painting seems to suggest that the dragon, like the fish, is underneath the water.  On the tail of the dragon stands a white stork that, being back to back with the man, is serving as a guard.

Like the lady in the other painting, the man is facing left, as "left" means "West" in most paintings of this kind.  People believe that the dead are going west or that heaven is in the west.  The tassels on the umbrella and the scarves around the man's neck are moving in the right direction, indicating that the dragon and its rider are braving wind at a rapid speed.  The people of that time believed that immortals riding dragons to heaven, and this painting seems to have the same meaning.  This painting is now kept at Hunan Provincial Museum.

T33 – Traditional Silk Paintings from an Ancient Tomb of the Warring States Period, Changsha  中国绘画 ---- 长沙楚墓帛画 Issue Date: 1979.3.29
Serial Number:	T33
Scott Number:	1469-1470
Michel Number:	1479-1480
Number of stamps in Set:	2
Denomination:	8 fen for stamp 1 60 fen for stamp 2
Quantity of Issue:	6,000,000 for stamp 1 2,000,000 for stamp 2
Perforation:	P11
Sheet Composition:	28 (7 X 4) for stamp 1, 2
Size of stamps:	40 X 54 mm for stamp 1, 2
Designer:	Shao Bolin 邵柏林
Printing Process:	Photogravure
Printing House:	Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T32 - Learn from the Hard-boned Sixth Company

On January 22, 1964, the Department of Defence of the People' s Republic of China awarded the sixth company of one infantry battalion of People's Liberation Army the honorary title "Hard bones the sixth company" (硬骨头六连).  "Hard bones" or "tough" attributes such as battle mentality, battle strategy, battle tactic and discipline.

This sixth company was formed in 1939, and was involved in the anti-Japanese and later the liberation battles in Jizhong (冀中) and Jinsui (晋绥).  In the early 1950's, participated in Chinese People's Volunteers Army in Korean War.

On the Army Day, August 1, 1978, (in commemoration of the Founding of Chinese People's Liberation Army), a set of three stamps was released to commemorate the past contribution of the sixth company and to encourage other units to learn from the sixth company.  The set of three stamps are as follows:

(3-1) 8 fen, Be the iron fist to oppose and prevent revisionism  反修防修的铁拳
(3-2) 8 fen, Carry forward the revolutionary tradition  发扬革命传统
(3-3) 8 fen, Training strenuously to master military skill in wiping out the enemy
                       苦练杀敌本领


(3-1)【Be the iron fist to oppose and prevent revisionism】The stamp design used the propaganda poster "Be the iron fist to oppose and prevent revisionism" by artist Chen Qi.  The design showed ordered rows of liberation army soldiers in the background, with a clear iron fist warrior image in the foreground.

(3-2)【Carry forward the revolutionary tradition】 The stamp design used the propaganda poster "Carry forward the revolutionary tradition" by artist Zhao Guangtao.  The design showed the sixth company soldiers charging in battle in the background, and leading to new generation revolutionary warrior in the foreground.

(3-3)【Training strenuously to master military skill in wiping out the enemy】 The stamp design used the propaganda poster "Training strenuously to master military skill in wiping out the enemy" by artist Cheng Jian.  The design showed the army, navy and air force soldiers use sixth company as a role model, learning their tough attributes in defeating the enemy.

T32 – Learn from the Hard-boned Sixth Company  向硬骨头六连学习 Issue Date: 1978.8.1
Serial Number:	T32
Scott No.:	1420-1422
Michel No.:	1430-1432
Number of stamps in Set:	3
Denomination:	8 fen for stamp 1, 2, 3
Quantity of Issue:	15,000,000 for stamp 1, 2, 3
Perforation:	P11½ X 11
Sheet Composition:	50 (10 X 5)
Size of stamps:	30 X 40 mm
Original Artists	Stamp 1 - Chen Qi  陈其 Stamp 2 -- Zhao Guangtao  赵光涛 Stamp 3 -- Cheng Jian 陈坚
Designer:	Wan Weisheng  万维生
Printing Process:	Photogravure
Printing House:	Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

T31M - Highway Arch Bridges Souvenir Sheet

This souvenir sheet was issued together with T31 stamps. 

(1-1) 2 yuan, Highway Arch Bridges - Changsha Xianjiang Bridge  公路拱桥 ---- 长沙湘江大桥

This souvenir sheet depicts the Changsha Xianjiang Bridge.  Located in the city of Changsha (长沙), in Hunan Province, Changsha Xianjiang Bridge is the first bridge across the Xinagjiang River (湘江) .  The bridge is located west of Wuyi Road (五一路),  connecting to Yingwanzhen (溁湾镇).  On its southern side, an attached bridge was built leading to the Orange Island (橘子洲).  Date of bridge foundation September 6, 1971 and officially open to traffic on October 1, 1972.  The main design is a double arch bridge made from armoured concrete.

The main bridge has 21 arches, covering a distance of 1,250 meters with 18 piers. Its width is 20 meters. A total of RMB 18 million was invested in the construction and about 800,000 people from various circles of life in the city joined voluntarily in the construction work.

T31M – Highway Arch Bridges  公路拱桥 Issue Date: 1978.11.1
Serial Number:	T31M
Scott No.:	1452
Michel No.:	1462
Number of stamps in Set:	1
Denomination:	2 yuan
Quantity of Issue:	150,000
Perforation:	P11½ X 11
Size of Souvenir Sheet:	146 X 70 mm
Size of stamp:	90 X 40 mm
Original Artist:	Lu Tianjiao 卢天骄
Printing Process:	Photogravure
Printing House:	Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works