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China
Flag of China
China's first national flag was adapted from Chinese mythology. It was believed the world was divided into five parts, each represented by a colour and an animal. China was known as The Middle Kingdom, with yellow as its colour and the dragon, symbolizing the East, as its animal. The first national flag was adopted in 1892 and it naturally depicted a blue dragon on a yellow flag (see other flags below).
The revolution of 1911 saw the introduction of a new flag. This one depicted horizontal red, yellow, blue, white and black stripes. Some say these colours represented the 5 great races of the China's history. This flag stood as the national flag until the takeover of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) in 1949 (see other flags below).
The search for a new flag started after the CPC took control of China following their victory in the Chinese Civil war. In the July of 1949, the task of finding a flag design for the new state was given to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The committee commissioned a national competition, which drew almost 3000 entries. Of the 38 finalists, it was the design submitted by the economist Zeng Liansong that won the national honour.
Zeng was born in the city of Rui'an in the south eastern province of Zhejiang. As a young man, he became active in the liberation struggle against the Japanese. In 1936 he entered the economics department in what is today known as the Nanjing University. Zeng died of illness in 1999 at the age of 82.
The final design of the present day flag brings together a red background with a large 5 pointed gold star positioned in the top left corner closest to the flag pole. Surrounding the big star is an arc of 5 smaller stars of the same colour.
There are a number of different interpretations about the colours and symbology of the modern Chinese flag. The more common one regarding the colours says the red symbolizes the spirit of the revolution, while the gold represents the history and culture of the Chinese people and the dawn of a new era. It's said the gold is also partially taken from the flag of the Soviet Union, which uses gold to symbolize the bright future of Communism.
The large star signifies the leadership of the Communist Party and the four smaller ones portray the unity of the Chinese people under its guidance. Mao Zedong claimed the four stars symbolize the four classes of people - workers, peasants, the small business class and the non-government businessmen - who he believed could all be united under his control. However, a more modern interpretation is the four stars represent the most respected occupations in China - the farmer, worker, teacher and soldier. The historical interpretation indicates the stars represent the four traditional occupations of the state - the worker, farmer, intellectual and businessman.
The final design was approved by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on September 27. Mao Zedong raised the present-day Chinese flag for the first time on the 1 October, 1949. The occasion took place in Tiananmen Square during the celebration marking the birth of the People's Republic of China.
Hong Kong
Flag of Hong Kong
Following the end of the 99 year lease between China and Britain, Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997. The transfer of control saw the lowering of the British colonial flag and the raising of the present day flag.
Since then, Hong Kong - now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China - flies a flag with a white Bauhinia blakeana flower on a red background.The flower has five
petals radiating outward in a circle with the petal tips pointing in a clockwise direction. The petals bear a five-pointed star at the end of what looks like the flower's stamen.
The indigenous Bauhinia blakeana, also known as the Hong Kong Orchid Tree, was discovered in Hong Kong in 1880 and is a distinguishing symbol of this region. The flag's red background - the same colour red used in the national flag of China - symbolizes the connection between the mainland and Hong Kong and the "one country two system" ¹ policy put into practice after the handover in 1997. The five-pointed red star in each of the five petals is a symbol often used to depict socialism or communism. The same stars are the main symbol on the flag of China.
Long before the official handover of sovereignty, a contest was held amongst the residents of Hong Kong to find a design for their new flag. A well-known Hong Kong architect and artist, Tao Ho was appointed as one of the judges to oversee the competition.
More than 7000 designs and ideas were received. When the final designs were submitted to the Chinese Preparatory Committee - responsible for advising the Central government on all matters related to the handover of Hong Kong - the committee rejected them all.
With no result from the competition, Tao Ho and the panel of judges were without a flag. It's during this time, while walking in a garden, that the beautiful Bauhinia blakeana flower caught Mr. Ho's eye. Being an architect and artist, he was attracted by the symmetry of its petals and the vibrant, dynamic appeal of the flower; words often used to describe the city of Hong Kong. These unique features of this indigenous Hong Kong flower inspired him to design a flag that symbolizes Hong Kong in the same way.
Tao Ho's design was eventually approved by the Preparatory Committee on August, 10 1996. It was hoisted as the official flag of Hong Kong during the handover ceremony on July 1, 1997.
¹ - this system of government allows Hong Kong to retain its Capitalistic government and economic systems - with some degree of autonomy - while the rest of China keeps its socialist systems of government.
Macau
Flag of Macau
The history of Macau dates back to the Qin Dynasty 221 - 206 BCE. It was, however, only after the arrival of the Portuguese trading ships in the 16th century that the region started to develop.
In 1840 the large numbers of Portuguese settlers, while still under Chinese control, were given the rights to self-administration on issues concerning social and economic
affairs. It was the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Amity andCommerce of 1887 that finally gave Portugal full control of Macau as part of its colonial empire.
During the following 100 years as a colony, the region of Macau never had its own flag. It officially used the national flag of Portugal. However, the Government of Macau was represented by a flag bearing a coat of arms on a light blue background. Below the coat of arms read the words "Governo de Macao". In 1967 a proposal was made to introduce a colonial flag, and it's believed a flag was approved, but never adopted.
As the final European colony in Asia, Macau was handed back to China on the 20 December, 1999. Like Hong Kong, it became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China and adopted the "one country, two systems" ¹ form of government. During this event, a new flag was raised portraying Macau's maritime history, culture and distinguishing geographic landmark.
The present day flag depicts a white lotus flower - the national flower of Macau - in the centre of a light green background. An arc of five, golden coloured, five-pointed stars extend over the top of the lotus flower. These stars copy the stars found on the Chinese national flag symbolizing the bond between Macau and China.
Below the flower, lies the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, which links the peninsula to the island of Taipa. It is one of the most recognizable features of Macau. The white lines below the bridge represent the historical importance the port played in the development of this city and its surrounding territory.
The current design received approval from the Chinese Central Government on the 31 March, 1993. Six years later, on 20 December, 1999, it was raised for the first time in the handing over ceremony when Macau's sovereignty was returned to China.
¹ - this system of government allows Hong Kong to retain its Capitalistic government and economic systems - with some degree of autonomy - while the rest of China keeps its socialist systems of government.
Protocol
Protocol
Flag of China
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Flag of Hong Kong |
Flag of Macau |
Regulation states that whenever the national flag is displayed with any of the two regional flags it is always placed in the centre of the display area. Where applicable, the Hong Kong regional flag must be to its left and the flag of Macau to its right. Both the regional flags are to be smaller in size and cannot be positioned above or higher than the national flag.
Left or right of the national flag is dependent on whether the flag is inside a building or not. If it is inside, the position is determined by a person standing with their back to a wall looking at the flag. If outside, left or right is decided by facing the building's entrance.
The national flag is always raised before and lowered after any regional flag. The flags must be raised all the way to the top of the pole - unless half-staff has been declared by the Chinese Central Government - and cannot touch the ground when lowered. The flags are raised at 8:00am and lowered at 6:00pm daily.
All
China's first national flag was adapted from Chinese mythology. It was believed the world was divided into five parts, each represented by a colour and an animal. China was known as The Middle Kingdom, with yellow as its colour and the dragon, symbolizing the East, as its animal. The first national flag was adopted in 1892 and it naturally depicted a blue dragon on a yellow flag (see other flags below).
The revolution of 1911 saw the introduction of a new flag. This one depicted horizontal red, yellow, blue, white and black stripes. Some say these colours represented the 5 great races of the China's history. This flag stood as the national flag until the takeover of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) in 1949 (see other flags below).
The search for a new flag started after the CPC took control of China following their victory in the Chinese Civil war. In the July of 1949, the task of finding a flag design for the new state was given to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The committee commissioned a national competition, which drew almost 3000 entries. Of the 38 finalists, it was the design submitted by the economist Zeng Liansong that won the national honour.
Zeng was born in the city of Rui'an in the south eastern province of Zhejiang. As a young man, he became active in the liberation struggle against the Japanese. In 1936 he entered the economics department in what is today known as the Nanjing University. Zeng died of illness in 1999 at the age of 82.
The final design of the present day flag brings together a red background with a large 5 pointed gold star positioned in the top left corner closest to the flag pole. Surrounding the big star is an arc of 5 smaller stars of the same colour.
There are a number of different interpretations about the colours and symbology of the modern Chinese flag. The more common one regarding the colours says the red symbolizes the spirit of the revolution, while the gold represents the history and culture of the Chinese people and the dawn of a new era. It's said the gold is also partially taken from the flag of the Soviet Union, which uses gold to symbolize the bright future of Communism.
The large star signifies the leadership of the Communist Party and the four smaller ones portray the unity of the Chinese people under its guidance. Mao Zedong claimed the four stars symbolize the four classes of people - workers, peasants, the small business class and the non-government businessmen - who he believed could all be united under his control. However, a more modern interpretation is the four stars represent the most respected occupations in China - the farmer, worker, teacher and soldier. The historical interpretation indicates the stars represent the four traditional occupations of the state - the worker, farmer, intellectual and businessman.
The final design was approved by the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference on September 27. Mao Zedong raised the present-day Chinese flag for the first time on the 1 October, 1949. The occasion took place in Tiananmen Square during the celebration marking the birth of the People's Republic of China.
Flag of Hong Kong
Following the end of the 99 year lease between China and Britain, Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule on July 1, 1997. The transfer of control saw the lowering of the British colonial flag and the raising of the present day flag.
Since then, Hong Kong - now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China - flies a flag with a white Bauhinia blakeana flower on a red background.The flower has five
petals radiating outward in a circle with the petal tips pointing in a clockwise direction. The petals bear a five-pointed star at the end of what looks like the flower's stamen.
The indigenous Bauhinia blakeana, also known as the Hong Kong Orchid Tree, was discovered in Hong Kong in 1880 and is a distinguishing symbol of this region. The flag's red background - the same colour red used in the national flag of China - symbolizes the connection between the mainland and Hong Kong and the "one country two system" ¹ policy put into practice after the handover in 1997. The five-pointed red star in each of the five petals is a symbol often used to depict socialism or communism. The same stars are the main symbol on the flag of China.
Long before the official handover of sovereignty, a contest was held amongst the residents of Hong Kong to find a design for their new flag. A well-known Hong Kong architect and artist, Tao Ho was appointed as one of the judges to oversee the competition.
More than 7000 designs and ideas were received. When the final designs were submitted to the Chinese Preparatory Committee - responsible for advising the Central government on all matters related to the handover of Hong Kong - the committee rejected them all.
With no result from the competition, Tao Ho and the panel of judges were without a flag. It's during this time, while walking in a garden, that the beautiful Bauhinia blakeana flower caught Mr. Ho's eye. Being an architect and artist, he was attracted by the symmetry of its petals and the vibrant, dynamic appeal of the flower; words often used to describe the city of Hong Kong. These unique features of this indigenous Hong Kong flower inspired him to design a flag that symbolizes Hong Kong in the same way.
Tao Ho's design was eventually approved by the Preparatory Committee on August, 10 1996. It was hoisted as the official flag of Hong Kong during the handover ceremony on July 1, 1997.
¹ - this system of government allows Hong Kong to retain its Capitalistic government and economic systems - with some degree of autonomy - while the rest of China keeps its socialist systems of government.
Flag of Macau
The history of Macau dates back to the Qin Dynasty 221 - 206 BCE. It was, however, only after the arrival of the Portuguese trading ships in the 16th century that the region started to develop.
In 1840 the large numbers of Portuguese settlers, while still under Chinese control, were given the rights to self-administration on issues concerning social and economic
affairs. It was the Sino-Portuguese Treaty of Amity andCommerce of 1887 that finally gave Portugal full control of Macau as part of its colonial empire.
During the following 100 years as a colony, the region of Macau never had its own flag. It officially used the national flag of Portugal. However, the Government of Macau was represented by a flag bearing a coat of arms on a light blue background. Below the coat of arms read the words "Governo de Macao". In 1967 a proposal was made to introduce a colonial flag, and it's believed a flag was approved, but never adopted.
As the final European colony in Asia, Macau was handed back to China on the 20 December, 1999. Like Hong Kong, it became a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China and adopted the "one country, two systems" ¹ form of government. During this event, a new flag was raised portraying Macau's maritime history, culture and distinguishing geographic landmark.
The present day flag depicts a white lotus flower - the national flower of Macau - in the centre of a light green background. An arc of five, golden coloured, five-pointed stars extend over the top of the lotus flower. These stars copy the stars found on the Chinese national flag symbolizing the bond between Macau and China.
Below the flower, lies the Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge, which links the peninsula to the island of Taipa. It is one of the most recognizable features of Macau. The white lines below the bridge represent the historical importance the port played in the development of this city and its surrounding territory.
The current design received approval from the Chinese Central Government on the 31 March, 1993. Six years later, on 20 December, 1999, it was raised for the first time in the handing over ceremony when Macau's sovereignty was returned to China.
¹ - this system of government allows Hong Kong to retain its Capitalistic government and economic systems - with some degree of autonomy - while the rest of China keeps its socialist systems of government.
Protocol
Regulation states that whenever the national flag is displayed with any of the two regional flags it is always placed in the centre of the display area. Where applicable, the Hong Kong regional flag must be to its left and the flag of Macau to its right. Both the regional flags are to be smaller in size and cannot be positioned above or higher than the national flag.
Left or right of the national flag is dependent on whether the flag is inside a building or not. If it is inside, the position is determined by a person standing with their back to a wall looking at the flag. If outside, left or right is decided by facing the building's entrance.
The national flag is always raised before and lowered after any regional flag. The flags must be raised all the way to the top of the pole - unless half-staff has been declared by the Chinese Central Government - and cannot touch the ground when lowered. The flags are raised at 8:00am and lowered at 6:00pm daily.
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