A Brief History of China's Flag
On the eve of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, a design competition was held to create a new flag as a symbol of unity and power for the new government. One man’s submission caught the eye above all others, and went on to become the design we know today. Here’s everything you need to know.
Background
In summer 1949, as the Communist Party gathered their last bit of strength and prepared to take over China, they posted a notice in several prominent newspapers requesting flag ideas. The new nation needed a symbol, and who better to create the symbol for a people’s republic than one of the people?
Designs flooded in, nearly 3,000 of them, all of which followed a slightly different interpretation of the requirements, which were as follows: Chinese characteristics, power characteristics, rectangular, and red.
The favorite
But despite its support from the future chairman, the design was ultimately rejected on the basis that the line created disunity in the flag.
The eventual winner
Instead, the winning design was proposed by a working class citizen named Zeng Liansong from Wenzhou, near Shanghai. When Zeng saw the party’s notice in the newspaper, he decided it was his patriotic right to participate. As he was burning the midnight oil to come up with a design that would epitomize his enthusiasm for the new leadership, he looked up into the night sky and was reminded of the proverb “longing for the stars, longing for the moon.” He decided then that stars should be the main feature of the flag.
He opted for a large yellow star in the upper left corner of the flag to represent the Communist Party, and four smaller yellow stars to its right to represent the “four occupations” of the Chinese people as laid out by Mao Zedong in an earlier speech: shi, nong, gong, shang – the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie and the national bourgeoisie.
Zeng also placed a hammer and sickle in the center of the largest star, though that addition was dropped by the selection committee for the final design, as they didn’t want their flag to look too similar to that of the Soviet Union.
The flag debuted in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on October 1, 1949, the day that the People’s Republic of China was formally announced.
Zeng was surprised to see his design chosen, especially because of the omission of the hammer and sickle. As a reward for his successful design, he was awarded RMB 5 million, or roughly USD$750,000.
Today, the flag is still in use across mainland China, and respect of the flag is written into the national penal code.
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
Culture Trip Spring Sale
Save up to $1,100 on our unique small-group trips! Limited spots.
