Flag of China

Flag origins

China’s national flag, known as the Five-Star Red Flag, places one large yellow star and four smaller yellow stars on a red field. It was formally adopted on September 27, 1949, and first raised at the founding of the People’s Republic of China on October 1 that year. Red symbolizes the Chinese revolution. The five yellow stars represent the unity of the people who participated in it. Each smaller star has one point directed toward the center of the large star, expressing unity around it. The designer was Zeng Liansong, who was working in Shanghai at the time. His proposal was selected from about three thousand submissions to a national flag competition in 1949.

Flag story

Zeng Liansong’s original submission differed slightly from the current flag: it included a hammer and sickle, symbols of socialism and communism, inside the large star. They were removed during selection, leaving the simpler arrangement of one large and four small stars. The National Museum of China holds the original design manuscript. Zeng’s design was not the leading candidate from the outset. It was initially dropped from consideration, then restored to the shortlist following advocacy by figures including playwright Tian Han, and was ultimately selected.

Editorial notes and references

Edited by ABELHA WORKS. The English text translates the administrator-edited Japanese description. Legends should be distinguished from documented history. General reference links do not substantiate every statement in the text.

• China — general information on Wikipedia
• Japan MOFA: countries and regions (Japanese)

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