Flag of Taiwan
Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth
A red flag with a blue rectangle in the top left corner holding a white sun with twelve triangular rays. It is the flag of the Republic of China, the government based in Taiwan.
At a glance
- Adopted
- 1928national flag of the Republic of China from 1928 and written into its 1947 constitution; used in Taiwan since 1949
- Shape (height : width)
- 2:3
- Capital
- Taipei
- Continent
- Asia
- Colours
- red
- blue
- white
What it means
- Twelve rays of the sun: the twelve months of the year and the twelve traditional Chinese hours, each two modern hours long
- Blue, white and red: Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People; one common explanation is blue for nationalism and liberty, white for democracy and equality, red for the people's livelihood and fraternity (sources match the colours to the ideas a little differently)
- White sun: often said to stand for the spirit of never-ending progress
Where it came from
The blue corner with the white sun, called "Blue Sky with a White Sun", was designed in 1895 by Lu Haodong for the Revive China Society, a group working to end the Qing dynasty. Sun Yat-sen later added the red field around it, around 1906.
History
After the 1911 revolution, the new Republic of China first used a flag of five coloured stripes. Sun Yat-sen's party favoured the blue, white and red design, and it became the national flag in 1928. It was written into the constitution in 1947.
In 1949 the Republic of China government moved to Taiwan, and the flag has been used there ever since. At the Olympic Games and some other international events, athletes from Taiwan compete as "Chinese Taipei" under a different flag with a plum blossom.
Fun facts
- The full Chinese nickname of the flag describes it as blue sky, white sun and an earth that is entirely red.
- The blue corner with the sun was a flag on its own for more than ten years before the red was added.
- The sun has exactly twelve rays, one for each month.
- At the Olympics, Taiwan's team uses a plum blossom flag instead.
Questions
What does the flag of Taiwan look like?
A red flag with a blue rectangle in the top left corner holding a white sun with twelve triangular rays. It is the flag of the Republic of China, the government based in Taiwan.
What do the colours and symbols on the flag of Taiwan mean?
Twelve rays of the sun: the twelve months of the year and the twelve traditional Chinese hours, each two modern hours long; Blue, white and red: Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People; one common explanation is blue for nationalism and liberty, white for democracy and equality, red for the people's livelihood and fraternity (sources match the colours to the ideas a little differently); White sun: often said to stand for the spirit of never-ending progress.
When was the flag of Taiwan adopted?
The current flag of Taiwan was adopted on 1928. (national flag of the Republic of China from 1928 and written into its 1947 constitution; used in Taiwan since 1949)
What colours are on the flag of Taiwan?
The flag of Taiwan uses red, blue and white.
Famous landmarks in Taiwan
🎯 Play the flag quiz 🌍 Play the globe
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org
- crwflags.com
- Flag picture: flagcdn.com (Wikimedia Commons)