The
Flag of China - Description of the Chinese Flag
As the
above picture of the Chinese Flag indicates the overall
background is Red
The description of
the Chinese Flag is as follows:
red with a large
yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed
stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag)
in the upper hoist-side corner
According to
Ancient and Heraldic traditions much symbolism is associated
with colors. The colors on the Chinese flag represent the
following:
Red -
The Red Earth and the color which is the well known symbol of
communism
All Flag
pictures depict flags flying, from the viewer's point of view,
from left to right
The shape and flag ratio of the Chinese flag is described as 2:3 ( length 1½ times the
height )
The upper
left quarter of the flag is called the Canton and pictures
a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow
five-pointed stars
which are believed to represent the four
classes - the peasants, the workers, the petty bourgeoisie and
the patriotic capitalists
The Meaning
& History of the Chinese Flag - The Chinese flag
originally had a hammer and sickle embedded within the largest
star which represented the unity of the Communist Party combined
with the strength of the government and its people
Flag
Terminology - Did you Know ?
The design and description
uses specific flag terminology based on Heraldic principles
Animal blazons should always appear
with the heads facing the flag - staff side
The Study of the Flags is called
Vexillology
Your interest in flags makes you a
Vexillologist!
Increase your knowledge - Play the
Flag Quiz
Flag History &
Evolution:
The idea of
flying a flag grew from the requirements of ancient warfare and
the battlefield
Shields were
painted with emblems to identify Friend or Foe
Warriors
needed to know where their leaders were - the custom of carrying
a pole was adopted
An emblem
such as a shield, animal or religious device was attached to the
pole for identification
The emblems
were also used for identity and to cover suits of armour - Coats
of Arms were born
These
emblems were the forerunners of modern flags
The Romans
were the first to use a cloth flag - they were square and
fastened to cross bars at the end of spears - the idea of
fastening a flag to the side of a pole soon followed
The strict
rules of Heraldry are still used when designing an emblem and
creating a modern flag
Chinese
Flag Etiquette
Chinese Flag etiquette is very strict and is is
essential that Flag protocols and rules are followed correctly
Basic
Flag
Etiquette applies to all nations, including Chinese as follows:
Etiquette relating to the order of
precedence for the flag
National Flag of
Chinese
State Flag of
Chinese
Military Flag of
Chinese (in order of creation date)
Other Flag of
Chinese
The United Nations uses alphabetical order
when presenting a national flag including the Chinese Flag. Their flag etiquette ensures
that no one country's flag has precedence over another country's
flag
The
National flag of
Chinese should never be flown
above another national flag on the same staff as this would
suggest superiority, or conversely, inferiority of one flag, or
Nation, over another
The Chinese flag should never be allowed to drag
along the ground
A tattered or faded flag of
Chinese should be removed
and replaced with a new flag
Due care and
consideration must be taken to ensure that the Chinese flag is
always
flown the correct way up
A Flag of Chinese, when in such
condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem of display,
should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning in
private with all due care and respect
Terminology & Etiquette in Chinese Flag display
Hoist - the
act or function of raising the Chinese flag, as on a rope
Half Staff
or Half Mast - the Chinese flag is hoisted to half of the potential
height of the flag pole to denote grief and mourning
Performed
by first raising the Chinese flag to the top, then lowering the
Chinese Flag halfway
Distress -
denoted by flying the Chinese flag upside-down
Manner of
hoisting - The Chinese flag should be hoisted briskly and lowered
ceremoniously
No
disrespect should be shown to the Chinese flag
The Chinese flag
should never be fastened, displayed, used, or stored in such a
manner as to permit the Flag to be easily torn, soiled, or damaged in
any way
The Chinese
flag should never have placed upon it, nor on any part of it,
nor attached to it any mark, insignia, letter, word, figure,
design, picture, or drawing on the flag of any nature
The
Chinese flag should be hoisted first and lowered last
International Flag relating to Chinese
Flag usage forbids the
display of the flag of one nation above that of another nation
in time of peace
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding Chinese Flag Etiquette has
provided a useful resource.
China
Location:
Eastern Asia, bordering the East China
Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North
Korea and Vietnam
Land Size of China
: 9,326,410 sq km
Climate / Weather
of China : extremely diverse; tropical in south to sub-arctic in
north
Chinese Population
: 1,298,847,624 (July 2004 est.)
Chinese Capital
City: Beijing
Chinese GDP: $6.449
trillion (2003 est.)
Main Industries :
iron and steel, coal, machine building, armaments, textiles and
apparel, petroleum, cement, chemical fertilizers, footwear,
toys, food processing, automobiles, consumer electronics,
telecommunications
Chinese Currency :
yuan (CNY) - also referred to as the Renminbi (RMB)
Main Colors of the
Chinese Flag : Red
Concise History of
China & its Flag
10,000 BC -
The Chinese civilization emerged from two Stone Age cultures of
the Yangshao and the Longshan
1766-1122 BC
The Shang dynasty
1122-256 BC
The Shang dynasty collapsed and was replaced by the Zhou dynasty
500 BC
Chinese philosopher Confucius ( 551-479 BC ) introduced new
moral and political standards
221 BC Shi
Huangdi became the first emperor of China when the Qin empire
was established
202 BC The
Han dynasty
8 AD - The
Xin dynasty controlled by Wang Mang was established
25 AD - 220
AD The Han dynasty regained control of China and Buddhism was
introduced
220 - 581 AD
The period known as the "Six Dynasties" when various tribes took
control of China
581-618 The
Sui dynasty took control
618 - 907
The Tang dynasty
907 - 960
"Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms" all struggled to gain control
of China
960 - 1279
The Song dynasty
1200s The
Mongols led by Kublai Khan (1214-1294) invaded China
1279 The
Mongol dynasty of Yuan under Kublai Khan took control of China
1275-1292
Marco Polo (1254-1324) travelled through China, his journey
lasted 24 years
1277 Kublai
Khan appointed Marco Polo as an official of the Privy Council
1295 Marco
Polo returns to Venice
1368 The
Chinese rebelled and ousted the Mongol leadership and the Ming
dynasty began its rule
1500s
European traders started journeys to China for the Chinese silks
and spices - Europeans were viewed as Barbarians
1644 The
Manchurians invaded China and set up the Qing dynasty
(1681-1796)
1839 - The
Opium War broke out and the victors were Great Britain
1842 The
Treaty of Nanjing ended the Opium War and Hong Kong was given to
Great Britain
1890s
Chinese opposition, led by the Boxers, to Western and Christian
influences in China
1900 The
Empress Dowager Tsu Hsi encouraged the Boxer Rebellion which was
defeated by Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain,
Italy, Japan, America and Russia
14 October
1911 Revolution in China forcing the abdication of the
last Chinese emperor, six-year-old Henry Pu-Yi
December
1911 - The Republic of China was established
12 February
1912 - The abdication of the last Chinese emperor Henry Pu-Yi
and the war lords took control
1922 The
republic failed due to Civil war
1919 Sun
Yat-sen began to reorganize the Nationalist Party with help from
the Soviet Union
1925 Chiang
Kai-shek became the new leader of the Nationalists on the death
of Sun
12 December
1927 Communists forces seized Canton and over the years set up
15 Communist bases
1934 Chiang
Kai-shek forced the communists to evacuate
13 December
1937 Japan attacked China
8 December
1941 China joined the Allies in World War II
August 1945
War ended with Japan
1946
Fighting broke out between the Nationalist and the Communists
January 1949
Mao Zedong pushed the nationalists to southern China and
proclaimed the People's Republic of China and Chiang Kai-shek
fled to Taiwan
1949-1952
The Communists establish control
1966 The
Cultural Revolution started instigating civil unrest
1967 Mao
ordered the army to restore order and the Communists began to
regain control
19 September
1984 The United Kingdom and China signed an agreement that would
return Hong Kong to China
18 May 1989
In China a million protestors demanding freedom of speech filled
Tiananmen Square, Peking
2 June 1989
Another non-violent protest in Tiananmen Square when more than
100 students and other civilians were killed when Chinese
soldiers opened fire
1 July 1997
Hong Kong became a part of China
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The
Chinese Flag and Nation
We hope that the presentation of facts
and information regarding the Chinese Flag and Country has
provided a useful educational resource. To improve your
knowledge of Flags and Vexillology still further check out the
Flags and Nations Index and test your knowledge with our
interactive, multi-choice, picture-based Flag Trivia Quiz Game - it's fast and
it's fun! If you answer all questions correctly you will earn the
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