J138, 90th Anniv. of Birth of Ye Jianying《叶剑英同志诞生九十周年》

Stamp Title: 90th Anniv. of Birth of Ye Jianying
Scott No: 2088，2089，2090
Serial number: J138
Values in set: 3
(3-1), Portrait of Ye Jianyi in youth, 30 fen, 30*40 mm
(3-2), Ye Jianyi in middle age, 10 fen, 30*40 mm
(3-3), Ye Jianyi in old age, 8 fen, 30*40 mm
Date of issue: April 28, 1987
Denomination: 48 fen
Designers: Yang Yunfei, Li Guijun, Shi Liang
Size of stamps: 30*40mm
Perforation: 11.5*11
Sheet composition: 50(10*5)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

Ye Jianying was born in April 28, 1897, into a well-to-do merchant family north of Guangzhou (Canton). He was an instructor at the Whampoa Military Academy where he met Zhou Enlai. He remained close to Zhou during his entire life. He joined the Communist Party in 1924 in Germany, came back to China where he rose ultimately to become one of China’s Ten Marshals.

Ye commanded the First Military Commission and later served as Chief of Staff of Zhang Guotao’s Fourth Front Army. During the Long March, he assisted Liu Bocheng in directing the crossing of the Yangtze River. Not a man was lost during the crossing. During the danger of conflict between Zhang’s Fourth Front Army and Mao’s First Front Army Ye intercepted by accident a message from Zhang Guotao attempting to overthrow Mao. He took the message to Mao to warn him. Mao told Ye, “You have done a wonderful thing.”

After Mao’s Army had slipped away, Ye was able to secure a map that had fallen to the floor and he and General Yang Shangkun (who later became the President of the PRC) were able to slip away on foot and alone. They managed to escape because it was expected that they were on horses and had a large contingent guarding these two high ranking generals.

After the formation of the PRC, he would serve for many years as Defense Minister. He survived the Cultural Revolution, paid lip service to Jiang Qing, but led the conspiracy of generals and Party seniors that overthrew Jiang Qing and the Gang of Four.

J138 叶剑英同志诞生九十周年
发行日期：1987.4.28。影写版。P11.5*11。 30mm*40mm。 50(10*5)。[G]。
设计：杨飞云、李贵君、石良。印制：北京邮票厂。

本套纪念邮票选用叶剑英在青年、中年和 晚年三个时期的戎装形象为画面。
3-1为“峥嵘岁月”。主图是叶剑英在红军时代的形象。他面容清瘦而冷峻，眼神犀利而坚定。冷色调的背景表示阴霾笼罩的天空，也暗示了环境的艰难困苦和斗争的尖锐复杂，衬托出叶剑英“诸葛一生唯谨慎，吕端大事不糊涂”(毛泽东对他的赞誉)的不凡素质和敏锐洞察力。
3-2为“开国元勋”。主图是叶剑英身着元帅礼服的肖像。
3-3为“满目青山”。主图为叶剑英晚年的形象。设计者取意于叶剑英的诗句：“老夫喜作黄昏颂，满目青山夕照明”。

叶剑英(1897—-1986)，广东梅县人。早年追随孙中山从事民主革命，曾任黄埔军校教授部副主任。1927年加入中国共产党。在南昌起义、广州起义以及在中央革命根据地的工作中发挥了重要作用。参加过长征，参与“西安事变”的和平解决。抗日战争时期，任八路军参谋长。　协助毛泽东、朱德等指挥过一些重大战役。中华人民共和国成立后，主持华南、中南地区工作。　1954年回北京担任军事领导工作。1955年被授予元帅军衔。1973年在中共十届一中全会上当选为中央委员会副主席。他对粉碎“四人帮” 集团、制定党的十一届三中全会路线和政策发挥了突出作用。从1978年3月到1983年6月间，担任第五届全国人民代表大会常务委员会委员长。1986年在北京病逝。