The flag of Taiwan, or more correctly the flag of the Republic of China, is an important and very controversial symbol of the country’s identity and history.
The flag consists of a background of red with a blue canton bearing a white stylized sun. The significance of the three colors (red, blue, and white) and the 12-rays sun are rooted in Chinese culture and recent history, and therefore, for a lot people, has nothing to do with Taiwan.
Symbolism of the Taiwan Flag
The significance of the three colors of the flag is rooted in the Three Principles of the People set up by Sun Yat-Sen, the founding father of the Republic of China.
- The red color symbolizes sacrifice, bloodshed, and brotherly love.
- The blue color represents brightness, purity, and freedom.
- The white color represents honesty, selflessness, and equality.
- The 12 rays of the sun represent the Chinese conceptualization of a day (being divided into 12 two-hour periods), symbolizing constant progress.
History of the Taiwan flag
The first national flag of the Republic of China was adopted in 1911 and consisted of five equal horizontal stripes of red, yellow, blue, white, and black, symbolizing the principal ethnic groups of the nation.
However, Sun Yat-sen, the country’s original leader, did not consider the five-colored flag appropriate, reasoning that the horizontal order implied a hierarchy. Instead, he favored the “Blue Sky with a White Sun” flag designed by Lu Hao-tung, which was unveiled in February 1895 in Hong Kong.
In addition to the “Blue Sky with a White Sun” flag, Sun Yat-sen also 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 Republic of China. This “Blue Sky with a White Sun, and Red Earth” flag was later officially adopted on May 5, 1921.
As we can see, the flagโs history lies in continental China, during a time when Taiwan was under Japanese control. It is therefore understandable that many Taiwanese do not see this flag as being representative of their country. Yet, many do take the flag out proudly, as it is also a symbol of their political separation of Communist China.
Taiwanโs National Flag Anthem
The Taiwan flag has its own anthem. It is usually played during the raising and lowering of the flag, and right after the national anthem during certain ceremonies. It is also played during international sporting events such as the Olympics, as the country isnโt allowed to use its national anthem, nor its name, whether that be Taiwan or ROC.
You can listen to it below;
| National Flag Anthem Lyrics | |
| Chinese | ๅฑฑๅทๅฃฏ้บ๏ผ็ฉ็ข่ฑ้๏ผ็้ปไธ่๏ผๆฑไบ็จฑ้ใ ๆฏ่ชๆด่ชๆฃ๏ผๆฏๆ ๆญฅ่ชๅฐ๏ผๅ ๆๆฐๆ๏ผไฟ้ฒๅคงๅใ ๅตๆฅญ็ถญ่ฑ๏ผ็ทฌๆท่ซธๅ ็๏ผๅฎๆไธๆ๏ผ่ซๅพๅ่ฟๅใ ๅๅฟๅๅพท๏ผ่ฒซๅพนๅง็ต๏ผ้ๅคฉ็ฝๆฅๆปฟๅฐ็ด ใ |
| English Translation | Magnificent mountains and rivers, (with) bountiful and diverse goods; Descendants of Yan and Huang, to be the heroes of East Asia. Never abandon in desperation, nor being complacent with achievement, Glorify our nation and work promoting Great Unity. Pioneering work was full of hardships and (we should) commemorate those founders and martyrs, Maintaining (their achievements) is not easy and never seek only for instant benefit. With one heart and one soul, carrying (these virtues) from beginning to end, Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth. |
Interesting Facts about the Taiwan Flag
Here are 6 interesting facts related to the Taiwan flag:
- Due to Taiwanโs unique political status, the flag is often banned from events abroad.
- The flag is not recognized as legitimate by the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Taiwan.
- The red of the Taiwan flag (#F20000) is different from the red of the Chinese flag (#EE1C25).
- The Former Presidential Palace of the Republic of China and the Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum in Nanjing are among the only places in China where the ROC flag is allowed to be displayed.
- Before martial law was lifted in 1987 in Taiwan, it was required that all vehicles be halted when passing by a flag ceremony.
- Former president, Lee Teng-hui, once called for the abandonment of the ROC flag and for the adoption of a new Taiwan flag.
Other Flags of Taiwan
The “Blue Sky with a White Sun and Red Earth” flag is not the only symbol used to represent Taiwan. Other commonly seen flags include the โChinese Taipei Olympic Committeeโ flag and the โTaiwan Independenceโ flag, for example.
Taiwan Olympic Flag
As Olympic Committee and other major international sport organizations donโt recognize Taiwan as an independent state, the country isnโt allowed to use its national flag when taking part in international sport events. Instead, Taiwan uses a separate flag, the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee flag, known in Taiwan as the ‘Plum Blossom Banner‘.
Taiwan Independence Flag
While there are no official flag for a proposed Republic of Taiwan, the above green flag is the most commonly used by Taiwan independence supporters.
It is also common for independence supporters to use the emoji Norfolk Island flag online (๐ณ๐ซ), due to its similar appearance to the above mentioned flag.
Taiwan LGBTQ+ Flag
The Taiwan LGBTQ+ flag is a variation of the national flag of Taiwan, where the red field is replaced by the rainbow flag. The flag is often seen during events such as Taiwan Pride and by Taiwanese communities participating in gay pride celebrations across the globe.
The Flag of the Republic of Formosa
The Republic of Formosa was a very short-lived republic established during the transition from Chinese to Japanese rule in 1895. Its flag, the Yellow Tiger Flag, continues to serve as a symbol representing Taiwan’s distinct identity and can often be found on merchandise such as t-shirts or mugs.
Flags resembling the ROC flag
You’ll often see Taiwanese individuals bringing either the former flag of Myanmar or the flag of Samoa to international sporting events in order to circumvent the ban on the Taiwan flag, as both flags closely resemble the colors and shape of the ROC flag.
The Taiwan flag emoji
The Taiwan flag emoji ๐น๐ผ is available on all phone or computer systems.
However, it’s important to note that the emoji is not available in China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Instead, when attempting to type it in these regions, a white square appears in its place. This reflects the complex political sensitivities and differing perspectives surrounding Taiwan’s status in relation to mainland China.
In conclusion, the flag of Taiwan, is a complex and controversial symbol that represents the country’s complex identity and history. The significance of the three colors, red, blue and white, as well as the 12 rays of the sun are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and recent history, which may not resonate with all Taiwanese people.
Find more about the flag of Taiwan and other of its symbols on the official website of the government of the Republic of China.
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