Tienanmen definitives

The Tienanmen (Gate of Heavenly Peace) definitives were 6 issues that were the first regular issues for the People's Republic of China.  File:PRC Gate 1.jpg|From the 1950 first definitive issue File:PRC gate 2nd 300.jpg|From the 1950 second issue File:PRC gate 3rd.jpg|From the 1950 third issue File:PRC gate 4th.jpg|From the 1950-51 4th issue File:PRC gate 5th.jpg|From the 5th issue, with network underprint File:PRC gat 6th.jpg|From the 1954 6th issue 

Some values are distinctive due to color and denomination, but some are not. Here's how to tell the issues apart:  File:Gate 1 detail.jpg|1st issue. Cloud top is to the right of the frame and breaks the top shading line inside the double-lined frame. File:Gate 2 detail.jpg|2nd issue. Cloud top is also the the right but does not break the top shading line. File:Gate 3 detail.jpg|3rd issue. Cloud is a different shape and top is now more toward the center of the design. The cloud top just cuts into the top shading line. File:Gate 4 detail.jpg|4th issue. Cloud top is just to right of center top and does not cut into the top shading line. File:Gate 5th detail.jpg|5th issue. The network underprint should make this obvious. The cloud top is much lower than before. File:Gate 6th detail.jpg|6th issue. The Chinese value inscription is moved to the right. The cloud top is left of center and the cloud has fewer shading lines. 

Regional issues
A couple of regional postal administrations used the same design. East China, North China and Northeast China (two issues). These had small characters in the design identifying the region.  File:NE China gate.jpg|Northeast China 1951 issue. See: Northeast China 