China Post Issues – 2023
Isues 1 — 6
This time take a close look at the first few issues from China Post for 2023.
2023-1: China Post issued a set of two special stamps entitled Year of Guimao and a stamp booklet on January 5, 2023. The two stamps are named The Rabbit Sending Blessings and Endless Cycle for Vitality. The denomination of each stamp is 1.2 yuan. The stamps were designed by Huang Yongyu and the designer of the booklet was Wang Huming
Each stamp measures 36×36 mm and is perforated 13. There are two styles of sheets, sheet design 1 has 16 pieces in layout 1, and there are 6 pieces in layout 2. Printer: Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited using Offset intaglio. Scott stamps 4948 – 4949, sheets 4948a – 4949a, booklets 4949b – 4949c.
The next one was released 2023 January 9 with a label. It is China Post serial number Z57. It features a view of the Palace Museum, what in the West is usually called the Forbidden City. This historic site has appeared on several stamps. In 1985 a set of four features different views (Scott 1212 – 1215) and again in 2008 (Scott 3697). The 2023 issue has a face value of 1.2 yuan, measures 36mm x 36mm and is perforated 13.5. The stamps and label were designed by Wang Huming and printed using offset by the Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works. Scott 4950.
The next issue also has a label. It is China Post serial number Z58 issued 2023 February 21. The stamp and label were designed by Liu Bo and Liu Minghui. Both the stamp and the label are square, 36mm x 36mm, perforated 13.5, printed by offset by the Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works. It shows Tiananmen, also called the Gate of Heavenly Peace, one of the most popular themes for China’s issues. Starting with the very first issue in 1949, China Post has shown Tiananmen more than eighty times. Scott 4951.
2023-2: On March 5, China Post issued a commemorative stamp entitled The 14th National People's Congress of the People’s Republic of China, with one stamp. The denomination of the stamp is 1.20 yuan.
The first session of the 14th National People's Congress of the People’s Republic of China was held in Beijing on March 5, 2023. The stamp features the Great Hall of the People in Beijing and the front cover of the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, and has mountains and rivers as the background. It was collectively designed by the Academy of Arts & Designs of Tsinghua University and painted by Chen Lei. The stamp is printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited through offset printing technologies. Each stamp is 50×36 mm, perforated at13.5 with twelve on a sheet. Scott 4952.
2023-3: China Post issued two commemorative stamps entitled The 60th Anniversary of the Publication of Mao Zedong’s Inscription “Learn from Comrade Lei Feng” on March 5, 2023. The designs are Comrade Mao Zedong's Inscription and a statue of Lei Feng. Each stamp has a face value of 1.2 yuan.
Lei Feng, a Communist soldier and a role model for serving the people, was born in Hunan province on December 18, 1940. Throughout his short lifetime, he studied hard, and purportedly worked selflessly for the public interest. In addition to completing his own work, he often helped others, and fulfilled his promise of "devoting the limited life into limitless service for the people". Lei Feng died in the line of duty on August 15, 1962.
The first stamp presents the inscription “Learn from Comrade Lei Feng” written by Mao Zedong, symbolizing the Lei Feng spirit is passed from generation to generation. The second stamp, “Lei Feng Statue”, features the bronze sculpture “Lei Feng” created by Wu Weishan. It symbolizes the spirit Lei Feng brought to the new China.
This set of stamps was designed by Wu Weishan and Shi Yuan and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited through offset intaglio (the first design) and photogravure (the second design) technologies. Stamps are 33 × 44 mm, perforated 13.5 with twelve to a sheet. Scott 4953 – 4954.
2023-4: The 100th Anniversary of Yunnan University. On April 20, 2023 China Post issued 1 stamp to commemorate the anniversary of Yunnan University. This university is in Kunming, Yunnan province in the south of China.
Yunnan University was founded in December 1922 by General Tang Jiyao, the warlord who controlled Yunnan Province in the 1920s. The university began to enrol students on April 20, 1923. It started as the privately run "Dong Lu University". The name has changed six times in the past 80 years, the present name dates from 1934. The stamp has a face value of 1.2 yuan. Each one is 45 x 36 mm and perforated 13. Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works used Offset and Engraving to produce this issue.
2023-5: China Post issued a set of 4 special stamps and 1 souvenir sheet entitled Masterpieces of Chinese Classical Literature – Journey to the West (Series 5) on April 27, 2023. The designs of the four stamps are about the adventures in Shituo Mountain, the Kingdom of Biqiu, the Bottomless Cave and the Kingdom of Tianzhu. The souvenir sheet shows the five sages achieving their goals.
Journey to the West, written by Chinese novelist Wu Cheng’en in the Ming Dynasty, is one of the classics of the ancient Chinese deity and demon novel type. The novel consists of 100 chapters telling the story of Sun Wukong, Zhu Bajie and Sha Wujing escorting the Buddhist monk Xuanzang on his pilgrimage to the Western Heaven to fetch the scriptures. They subdued demons and monsters on the way as they went through eighty-one difficulties before they finally achieved their goals.
This set of stamps was designed by Li Yunzhong, a young painter and member of the Inner Mongolia Artists Association, and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing House Company Limited with photogravure technology. The first three stamps have face values of 1.2 yuan, the fourth is 1.5 yuan. The stamp in the souvenir sheet has a value of 6 yuan and has an unusual shape. Stamps measure 38 x 50 mm and are perforated 13 x 13.5
2023-6: China Post issued one stamp on 2023 April 26 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of Northeastern University, It has a face value of 1.2 yuan, measures 33 x 44mm and is perforated 13.5. It was designed by Xu Zhe. There are twelve of the issue in a sheet. It was printed with Offset and Engraving by the Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works
Northeastern University is located in Shenyang, Liaoning province. Liaoning is one of the three provinces in China known as the North-East. This is a somewhat underdeveloped region rich in natural resources. The university faculties of engineering and materials science have a long history and include four national engineering (technology) research centers.