One of the oldest states is China. Many things that seem commonplace today come from this country - silk, gunpowder and paper, for example. It is the Chinese, according to historians, who were the first to use the flag, as early as the hundredth century BC. Over its thousand-year history, it has repeatedly changed its appearance and shape, until in the middle of the last century the modern flag of China appeared - a red canvas with five stars. But what is its significance and what did not please the previous government of the republic?
Qing Dynasty Flag
Despite the fact that the first Chinese flags from silk were mentioned back in the days of the Roman Empire, the one and only was not long enough. The heraldry of Europe depicted the flag of China in completely different ways. Basically they were different animals on a white background. Most likely, they have little in common with reality. In those days, it was hardly known exactly what the flag of China looked like. After all, the Asian state itself was surrounded by myths and legends for Europeans.
The first single flag in China appeared only in 1862 due to the development of trade and military relations with Great Britain. It was a yellow triangle with a blue dragon and the sun depicted on it. Later, in 1889 and at the insistence of the European allies, the flag of China became rectangular. The yellow color symbolized the ruling Qing dynasty, and the blue dragon and the sun - its power and wisdom. In this form, it survived until the fall of the empire and the proclamation of the Republic of China.
Flags of the era of change
After the Xinhai revolution that took place in 1911, this symbol simply could not remain in its original form. However, the government did not immediately agree on which flag of China to accept as a single for the whole country. Only on January 1, 1912 was the five-color version finally selected. It symbolized the unity of 5 peoples in one republic: Han Chinese (red), Manchu (yellow), Mongols (blue), Hui (white) and Tibetans (blue). However, in this form, Father Yatsen, the founding father of the Republic of China, did not like him.
At his insistence, in 1928, the new flag of China was approved. On a red canvas, a white sun on a blue background was depicted in the upper left corner. The "Red Land" denoted the sacrificed revolutionaries to overthrow the ruling Qing dynasty. The white sun is 12 months, or 12 Chinese hours. In general, the colors of the flag symbolized the three main principles of the republic’s rule: red - national welfare, blue - nationalism, white - democracy. Now it is used only in Taiwan, the former province of China.
Modern flag
After the ruling Kuomintang party lost the civil war and the republic’s leadership fled to Taiwan, the new government did not suit the way the Chinese flag looked. In 1949, a nationwide competition for a new banner was announced. In total, about 3,000 options were presented. After some changes, a new flag was approved on October 1, 1949, authored by Zuen Lianlong, an economist from Shanghai.
According to his idea, the red color of the flag symbolized the shed blood of the revolutionaries, and five stars reflected the desire for a better life. The big star is the Chinese Communist Party, and the 4 small ones are the bourgeoisie, workers, peasants and the military. Liansong got the idea from an article by Mao Zedong, where he mentioned the 4 classes of the Chinese people and their union. True, the party workers could not immediately decide which flag China will have.
So, according to one of the options, it was proposed to add a longitudinal yellow band to it, indicating the Yellow River. It was proposed to add not just one, but three bands. Part of the party members did not like the presence of small stars, they wanted to remove them altogether. As a result, at the insistence of Mao Zedong, the flag of Zuen Liansong was approved with minor modifications. In the final version, the sickle and hammer from the big star were removed so that the flag of China looked less like the flag of the USSR.
Flags of Hong Kong and Macau
Despite the fact that China is a unitary state and its provinces cannot have their flags, two of them are in a special position. This is Hong Kong, reunited with the republic only in 1996, and Macau, which became independent in 1999. This is a consequence of the popular policies for these provinces in mainland China - "one country, two systems." Only under such conditions was it possible to return the previously lost lands.
The national flag of Hong Kong shows a white Bauginia flower with five petals on a red background. It is a symbol of the reunification of the province with China, and the 5 stars located on each of the petals speak of the love of citizens for their city. The flag of Macau is green with a white lotus flower that blossoms over the bridge of Governor Nobre de Carvalho. This is the most recognizable place in Macau, and it also connects the island with mainland China. All the same 5 yellow stars are depicted above the flower. This detail reminds of which flag China has, and also speaks of the connection of the province with the republic.
Flags of military and other organizations of China
The People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) has its own flags for each kind of army. The main background on them is the same red color. But next to the big yellow star are the "eight one" characters. Just that it does not look like the national flag of China. The meaning of this symbol is quite simple. The order to create the PLA was signed on August 1, 1927, that is, on the first day of the eighth month. The flag itself appeared only 22 years later. In 1992, flags were also approved for the ground forces - with a green stripe, for the Navy - with white-blue stripes and for the Air Force - with a blue stripe.
The ruling political party, the Komsomol and pioneer organizations of China have their flags. So, since 1942, the Chinese Communist Party has a single flag - a sickle and a hammer in the upper right corner against a red background. Komsomol members appear under the red flag with the emblem of the union - a yellow star in the same color ring. The pioneers on the red flag depicts a star with a torch in the center. These flags are very similar to those used earlier in the USSR.
Finally
China is the only country where the Communist Party rules today. Hardworking Chinese are happy to work for the good of their homeland and the ruling elite. The flag of this state for every Chinese is a symbol of freedom and independence. At the same time, high technology and fidelity to traditions are adjacent to China. And eastern flexibility made it possible to adapt to changing economic and political conditions.