ABSTRACT
Stamps are visible products of the country that present information to those inside and outside the country’s boundaries about events, personalities and subjects it considers important. Political geographers and others in recent years have studied stamp themes, issues and social changes. We explore the recent history of China’s postage stamp policies and then the topics, themes and subjects of Chinese stamps in three periods: the years during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), the years before and after Reform and Opening Up in 1978 and the years before and after China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2001. A close reading of the stamp designs and subjects reveals that there were changes in the subjects, designs, and topics “before” and “after” periods. We conclude that stamps can be and are important products of country politics that can be used to reflect internal and external cultural, political and economic changes.
