Flag of China | History, Meaning

Five colours comprising horizontal stripes represented the national flag of the first republic, founded in 1912. In Chinese symbolism, five is a prominent number. It correlates to the 4 cardinal points and the centre (i.e., China) and the Five Rulers, Five Elements, Five Classics, and Five Virtues. The symbolism of five was represented in the stars that appear in yellow in the upper hoist canton of the People’s Republic of China flag, which was first officially raised on 1st October 1949. Read the full article to understand the history of the Chinese Flag and some Chinese flag facts. 

History of the Chinese Flag

China’s Flag consisted of five colours from 1862 to early 1900s. The primary colours were red, yellow, blue, white, and black. The Flag had a yellow background with a blue dragon in the middle and a red disc in the upper left corner. The dragon’s back was made out of white and black horizontal bars.

The Flag was a red base with a globe in the centre during the Soviet era of 1931. Within the globe were a sickle and a black hammer. A golden star sits atop the globe, with laurels on the left and right sides. In 1934, the Flag was altered to include the sickle and the hammer on the left side of the red-based banner. An emblem reading ‘Chinese Communist’ was placed on the right side of the Flag. 

After 1949, the communist party’s banner under Mao Zedong became the Flag that lasted all the others. China’s contemporary Flag is linked to the country’s socialist heritage. A crimson field with five golden stars in the canton makes up the Flag. The red depicts China’s communist revolution, while the five stars signify the country’s people are coming together under the communist party.

Chinese flag facts

Before designing the new flag, participants in the 1949 competition were asked to follow four major guidelines. Those guidelines were:

• First and foremost, the flag represents the country’s history and culture. 

• Second, the Flag was supposed to symbolise the working class’s might. 

• Finally, the shape must be rectangular with a length-to-width ratio of 3:2. 

• The fourth colour guideline was that the Flag must be red.

Here are some Chinese flag facts listed:

• The flag is rectangular and has a 2:3 width-to-length ratio. 

• The flag’s upper left corner measures 15 by ten units. The largest star’s drawing begins five units from the hoist.

•  The first little star is drawn two units from the top of the Flag and ten units from the hoist, with a circumference of six units. 

• The next little star is drawn at four units from the top and 12 from the hoist.

• The fourth star is drawn at nine units from the top of the Flag and ten from the hoist. 

• The diameter of all the tiny stars is two units. In addition, the little stars are positioned to point to the larger star’s core section.

What does a China flag represent?

‘The Five Star Red Flag’ is the name given to the Flag of the People’s Republic of China. The red base serves two purposes. It’s the hue of the communist revolution, for starters. The hue of the stars, which is golden yellow, has numerous connotations. First and foremost, this colour represents the Machu dynasty. In the history of the Chinese flag, yellow has always been a meaningful colour. It’s an imperial colour or an emperor’s colour.

There are five stars on the Flag. The main star in the China flag represents the communist party, while the four smaller stars creating a vertical arc represent traditional Chinese social strata. Under China’s communist party, all of these socioeconomic classes are merged. In Chinese culture, the five-pointed stars also symbolise the five elements. Water, fire, earth, wood, and metal, all linked with the Chinese ruler, are among these elements.

Conclusion 

On October 1, 1949, China established its Flag. The National Flag was raised for the first time at a ceremony commemorating the creation of the People’s Republic of China in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. There are five stars on the Flag. The main star represents the communist party, while the four smaller stars creating a vertical arc represent traditional Chinese social strata. In this article, we have discussed the history of the Chinese Flag and explored various Chinese flag facts. Further, we have also discussed what a China Flag represents.