In with the old and out with the new. That is the cry of a group of Chinese scholars and lawyers who are demanding that Chinese heroes and literary giants be added to banknotes.

The appeal by 12 intellectuals from across China has been issued to coincide with the revival this weekend — after more than half a century — of a national holiday honouring an ancient statesman who committed suicide rather than serve a tyrannical emperor.

In a statement issued on the internet the 12 are careful not to demand the removal of the image of Chairman Mao that is embossed on every Chinese banknote. But they do want greater respect for tradition and culture.

They write: “So that the ancient pursuits of freedom and love of justice and truth may continue to influence our generation of Chinese and our posterity, we urge the authorities to consider printing images of the wise — Qu Yuan, Li Bai, Yue Fei and Wen Tianxiang — on to the currency.”

The Duanwu or Dragon Boat Festival that honours the poet and statesman Qu Yuan is marked on the fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar. This year it falls tomorrow. Under a new system of public holidays introduced this year, the festival has been listed as a national holiday.

Many legends surround the life and death of Qu Yuan. He was reportedly banished after his advice enraged his king and committed suicide while in internal exile in 278BC in protest against corruption.

Zhang Xingshui, a lawyer and one of the 12 signatories to the appeal, said that the ancient dissident should not be revered solely in line with current government policy that regards him as a patriot. He should also be revered as one who opposed the use of violence to conquer and for his respect for equality, freedom and paternity.

“This is the spirit we want to advocate among Chinese people,” Mr Zhang told The Times. “We want to see people like this on our currency because the People's Republic of China should focus on the wishes of people and not just the wishes of leaders and officials.”

Their internet appeal lays out clearly the bold ideas of this group and of Mr Zhang, who is also careful to voice his support for the Communist Party's favourite slogan of the moment — the desire to create a harmonious society. They say: “The question of whether we are returning to the worthless tradition of power worship or the golden tradition of pursuit of freedom is one that every Chinese ought to consider.”

Mr Zhang said that he would also like to see such prominent historical figures as the philosophers Confucius and Mencius, the 8th-century poet Li Bai, 12th-century military general Yue Fei and 13th-century scholar-general Wen Tianxiang on the currency “to create a more humanitarian spirit among people”.

Times Recommends

• Superfreakonomics by Steven D Levitt and Stephen J Dubner
• The Times picks the 50 best paperbacks of 2009
• Vincent van Gogh’s letters show the soul of the artist