Flag of the Republic of China

The flag was originally designed by the anti-Qing group, the Revive China Society, in 1895 with the addition of the red field component in 1906 by Sun Yat-sen in his speech.

The public display of this flag is still seen in historical museums and war cemeteries across mainland China, but its use otherwise remains illegal due to its history as a symbol of opposition to communism.

[7] The canton (upper corner on the hoist side) originated from the "Blue Sky with a White Sun flag" (青天白日旗; qīngtiān báirì qí) designed by Lu Haodong, a martyr of the First Guangzhou Uprising of 1895.

Lu Hao-tung's "Blue Sky with a White Sun" flag was used in the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou.

In Jiujiang, the "Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth" flag was used on ships during a naval uprising.

In Shanghai and northern China, a "Five-coloured Flag" (五色旗; wǔ sè qí) (Five Races Under One Union flag) was used of five horizontal stripes representing the five major ethnicities of China: the Han (red), the Manchu (yellow), the Mongol (blue), the Hui (white), and the Tibetan (black).

[11] Sun Yat-sen, however, did not consider the five-coloured flag appropriate, reasoning that horizontal order implied a hierarchy or class like that which existed during dynastic times.

[12] One reason for this discrepancy in use was lingering regional biases held by officials and citizens of northern China, who favored the Five-coloured Flag, against southerners such as the Cantonese/Hakka Sun Yat-sen.[citation needed] During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the invading Japanese established a variety of puppet governments using several flag designs.

As a compromise, the Japanese suggested adding a triangular yellow pennant on top with the slogan "Peace, Anti-Communism, National Construction" (和平反共建國; Hépíng fǎngòng jiàn guó) in black, but this was rejected by Wang.

After the Chinese Civil War began to ease, the government of Chiang Kai-shek relocated the Republic of China to the island of Taiwan, whose administration was handed over to the ROC from Japan in 1945.

On the mainland, the communist forces of Mao Zedong established the People's Republic of China and adopted their own national flag.

[1] The "Blue Sky with a White Sun" flag of Lu Hao-tung was unveiled in February 1895 in Hong Kong.

Sun Yat-sen added the "Red Earth" to the flag to signify the blood of the revolutionaries who sacrificed themselves in order to overthrow the Qing dynasty and create the ROC.

The flag has developed a great deal of additional symbolism due to the unique and controversial political status of Taiwan.

Schoolchildren have traditionally been required to attend morning rallies where the flag is raised after a rendition of the National Anthem of the Republic of China.

The symbolism of the ROC flag began to shift in the early 21st century[citation needed] as there was a warming of relations between the pan-Blue coalition in Taiwan and the Chinese Communist Party on mainland China.

The ambiguity surrounding the flag was made apparent during the trip of Kuomintang Chairman Lien Chan to mainland China in April 2005, during which the flag was very prominently displayed at ceremonies honoring Sun Yat-Sen at which both KMT party officials and government officials from the PRC were in attendance.

Although supporters of Taiwan independence, such as former president Chen Shui-bian, will display and salute the flag on formal official state occasions, it is never seen at political rallies of the Democratic Progressive Party.

[19] Some Hong Kongers have historically flown the ROC flag to demonstrate their shared opposition to the PRC's policies, as well as to honor the legacy of Sun Yat-sen, as part of the pro-ROC and pro-democracy camps.

[20][21] In recent years, however, due to the PRC's tightening of state control over Hong Kong, supporters of the ROC have faced severe restrictions in expressing their political support, especially in publicly flying the ROC flag or celebrating the National Day of the Republic of China on October 10th every year.

China Burma India Theater of World War II insignia, formed by the combination of both the flag of the Republic of China and the flag of the United States
The national flag in darker shades.
National flag construction sheet (Chinese).
National flag construction sheet (dimensional).
The Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee flag (known in Chinese as the 'Plum Blossom Banner') is derived from and used in place of the flag of the Republic of China at the Olympic Games and in some sporting events.
Rennie's Mill Middle School flying the ROC flag in Hong Kong, 1995