Stamp Title: The Art of War of Sunzi
Scott No: 2636-40
Serial number: 1995-26
Values in set: 5
(5-1), Portrait of Sunzi, 20 fen, 30*50mm
(5-2), Teaching how to fight in Palace of Wu Country, 20 fen, 30*50mm
(5-3), Enter Ying City after Five Battles, 30 fen, 30*50mm
(5-4), Battle at Ailing, 50 fen, 30*50mm
(5-5), Meetings of Sovereigns to Form Alliances at Huangchi, 100 fen, 30*50mm
Date of issue: December 4, 1995
Designers: Chen Quansheng
Size: 30*50mm
Perforation: 12
Sheetcomposition: 32
Printing process: offset

Sun Wu, author of “The Art of war of Sunzi”, courtesy – named Changqing, was a native of Le An of State Qi (Huimin county, Shandong Prov.) in the later years of Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 B.C.). At Wu Zixu’s seventh recommendation, he was received in audience by King He Lu of State Wu for his military theories and was immediately made a general. As he showed up in the conquering wars, Sun Wu quickly proved himself of great strength in military affairs. Due to his remarkable command, State Wu took over the overlord place of State Jin.

“The Art of War of Sunzi” is not only an illustrious martial classics in ancient China, but one of the oldest writings on war art in the world. It consists of 13 chapters. They are: Laying Plan; Waging War; Attack by Stratagem; Tactical Dispositions; Energy; Weak Points and Strong; Manoeuvring; Variation of Tavtics; The Army on the March; Terrain; The Nine Varieties of Ground; The Attack by Fire and The Use of Spies. There are only about 5 thousand more characters, but the intelligence they contain is immeasurable. It presents exquisite discussions on various aspects of antique military theories, nevertheless touching, as one sees, almost all the categories and branches of modern military science. Since its appearance, “The Art of War of Sunzi” has been highly appreciated and resorted to by strategists throughout the history and was honored as “the Greatest Martial Classics”. Noticeable in this book are also many dictums and aphorisms of rich understanding that reveals the universal principles of the war, such as: “if you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles”; “attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected”; “to wait at ease while the enemy is toiling and struggling”; “avoid the strong, attack the weak”, and so on. All these statements echo with sophisticated philosophy.

Today, the enduring masterpiece of “The Art of War of Sunzi”, bearing an age of 25 hundred years, with versions of more than a dozen foreign languages, witnesses its influence everywhere. It passed through boundaries and made fame around the world. Results of researches based upon the book have been applied to other fields beyond military sphere, as to politics, diplomatic affairs, economy and sports, etc.. As further exploration goes on, “The Art of War of Sunzi” will sure have much more to offer to us mankind.


1995-26 《孙子兵法》特种邮票
（5-1）T 孙子像 20 分 5168.1万枚
（5-2）T 吴宫叙战 20 分 5168.1万枚
（5-3）T 五战入郢 30 分 2704.1万枚
（5-4）T 艾陵之战 50 分 3124.9万枚
（5-5）T 黄池会盟 100分 2686.5万枚
志号名称：1995-26T
发行日期：1995年12月4日
版别：影写
整版枚数：32 枚
全套面值：2.20元
邮票规格：30 × 50毫米
齿孔度数：12 度
设计者：陈全胜
印制机构：北京邮票厂

《孙子兵法》是我国现存最早的一部军事专著。据史料记载，《孙子兵法》为春秋末年吴国的伟大军事专家孙武所著，全书共十三篇，分别是：计、作战、谋攻、形、势、虚实、军事、九变、行军、地形、火攻、用间等。它是我国古代军事思想与作战经验的高度概括和总结，是中国古代朴素唯物论，辩证法与军事实践相结合的天才产物。书中的著名论断与决策，如“知已知彼，百战不殆”“出其不意，攻其不备”等，业已成为千古不移至理名言。

《孙子兵法》是一部集兵法之大成的军事宝典。是自战国以来最为世人重视和推崇的一本古代兵书，也是世界上现在最早的一部军事理论著作，毛泽东、刘伯承也曾对其进行过深入研究，并给予高度评价。1991年波斯湾战争中，联军高级参谋人手一册，真是人不分古今，地不论中外，只要有战争，《孙子兵法》就有用处，可谓放之四海而皆准。