What is the meaning of the Chinese flag?

Through this article we will teach you more about one of the symbols of the Middle Kingdom: its flag. Indeed we have prepared an article that will tell you more about what the Chinese flag means: what is its history? How was it born? But also what meaning there is behind its colors and patterns.

History of the flag of China

The flag of China was adopted on October 1, 1949. It was officially hoisted for the first time in Beijing's Tiananmen Square at a ceremony announcing the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Before that, the country had a different flag. From 1862 to 1912, the flag of China consisted of five colors : red, yellow, blue, white, and black. The base of the flag was yellow, with a blue dragon in the center and a red disk in the upper left corner. The dragon's back was made up of horizontal white and black stripes. The decline of the Qing Dynasty reached its peak in 1912 with uprisings that took place in different parts of the country, from the Miao ethnic group in Guizhou province to the Hui Muslims and the Nian uprisings between 1851 and 1868.

Attempts to restore the monarchical regime took place in 1915 and 1916. During this period, the flag used was composed of yellow, blue, black, white and red. However, its appearance was different. There was a red X in the center and four triangles in the corners with white, black, blue and yellow colors. The Empire of China had a similar variant of this flag. It had a red cross with a yellow rectangle in the upper left, a black rectangle in the upper right, a blue rectangle in the lower left, and a white rectangle in the lower right.

China has had different dynasties throughout its history. Each period had a flag that symbolized the government at power. During the Soviet era from 1931, the flag was a red base with a globe in the center. The globe contained a sickle and one black hammer. At the top of the globe was a golden star and laurels appeared on the left and right sides. The flag was later modified in 1934 to consist of the hammer and sickle appearing on the left side of the red-based flag. On the right side of the flag was a symbol saying "Chinese Communism". The flag of Taiwan was raised in China by the Kuomintang (KMT) Nationalist Party. After 1949, the flag of the Communist Party of Mao Zedong became the flag that survived them all.

THE modern flag of china is associated with its communist history. The flag is a red field with five gold stars in the corner. Red represents revolution Communist of China, while the five stars are interpreted as a unification of the country's people under the Communist Party. The large star surrounded by the four little stars symbolizes the communist party. The four small stars represent the four social classes, the proletarian workers, the peasants, the petty bourgeoisie and the patriotic capitalists.

The man behind this flag is Zeng LiansongZeng's drawing was made as part of a competition held in July 1949, organized by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPCC). At the beginning of the competition, there were more than 3,000 participants.

What is the meaning of the colors of the Chinese flag?

1) Red

The flag of the People's Republic of China is commonly called "the five-star red flag" - "五星紅旗". The red base has several meanings. First, it is the color of the communist revolution. Red also represents the traditional color of China, in fact red is a color with strong positive connotations in China. It is everywhere during the Chinese New Year to wish each other a happy new year, during the weddings to have a happy marriage, it is also widely represented on palaces and temples, notably with chinese lanterns. In addition, it is a lucky color.

2) Yellow

The golden yellow color of the stars also has several meanings. First of all, this color is a representation of the Machu dynasty. Yellow is a symbolic color in Chinese history, it is a symbol of wisdom, glory, harmony. It is also the official color of the Emperor, which for a time could not be worn by anyone other than the family and the imperial court.

3) Stars

The flag has five stars. The large star represents the Communist Party, while the four small stars forming a vertical arc represent the social classes of traditional Chinese society. These social classes are all unified within the Chinese Communist Party. The five-pointed stars also represent the five elements of Chinese culture. These elements include those of water, fire, earth, wood and metal, which are associated with the emperor of China.

Interesting facts about the Chinese flag

• The flag of China and that of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, although of completely different origins, have some similarities. For example, the five points of the golden star of the Vietnamese flag and the four small stars of the Chinese flag both represent social classes that include proletarian workers, peasants, petty bourgeoisie and patriotic capitalists.
• In the 1949 competition for a new flag, participants had to meet five main requirements. First, the flag had to embody the country's history and culture. Second, the flag had to represent the characteristic power of the working class. Third, the shape had to be rectangular with a length-to-width ratio of 3:2. Fourth, the color red had to be used. Zheng's design won the competition. When he designed it, he said he thought of the Chinese proverb, "longing for the stars, longing for the moon."

Now you know everything about the meaning of the Chinese flag, from its creation to the symbolism of the patterns and colors. If you are interested in acquiring a Chinese flag, you will find one directly in our flag collection where there are all sizes.