A set of commemorative stamps to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Deng Yingchao, a late Chinese woman leader and wife of late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai, were issued on Wednesday in her hometown of Xinyang City of central China's Henan Province.

The set of two stamps includes a full-length portrait of Deng in her youth and a half-length portrait in her late years. Both have a surface value of 0.8 yuan (9.7 US cents).

Experts said the commemorative stamps had a good artistic value for collection with their elaborate designs and vivid portraits.

Meanwhile, an online "Deng Yingchao Memorial" has been set up for people to pay respect to this pioneer of the Chinese women's movement.

Deng and late Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai both enjoyed a high fame among Chinese people for their noble minds and unselfish dedication to the people.

Deng Yingchao was born on Feb. 4, 1904 and died in 1992.

During the May 4th Movement in 1919, she led a patriotic student movement and founded the Awakening Society in Tianjin together with Zhou Enlai and Ma Jun.

She joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1925 and married Zhou Enlai that same year.

Deng took part in the Long March from 1934 to 1935.

During the war of resistance against Japan between 1937 and 1945, she was engaged in the anti-Japanese national united front work in Wuhan and Chongqing.

After the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, she once served as vice chairwoman and later honorary chairwoman of the All-China Women's Federation, honorary president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship With Foreign Countries, honorary president of the China Population Welfare Foundation, and chairwoman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee.
 
(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2004)