In a different era in China, Jiang Jun’s collection would have meant he never went hungry, for he is the proud owner of more than 63,000 Chinese food ration coupons.
Jiang Jun /CRI Photo
The coupons, known as “liangpiao” in Chinese, were first issued by the government in the 1950s when food and other commodities were scarce. The system was abolished in the 1990s, following the growth of industrial and agricultural production sectors. Today, they have become hot items at auction and are highly sought after by collectors and investors.
Jiang Jun's food ration coupons collection /CRI Photo
Jiang, 61, has been collecting them since 1974 and is president of a club dedicated to the hobby in Chongqing, Sichuan Province. He even founded a magazine about food ration coupons in 1991.
“I first began to notice food stamps when I was in the army,” Jiang said. He traveled around China in the armed forces in the 1970s and was able to collect coupons in different provinces.
With reform and opening-up in China, commodity supplies quickly caught up. Circulation of food ration coupons stopped in 1993.
