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Story behind the five golden stars on China’s flag: who designed it, and what it means

Stanley Le
25 Sep, 2023
China’s flag was first hoisted on October 1, 1949. Photo: Shutterstock
China’s flag was first hoisted on October 1, 1949. Photo: Shutterstock
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Why might it be important for countries to have meaningful flag designs?

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What is the meaning behind the stars on China’s flag?

Stop and think

Why might it be important for countries to have meaningful flag designs?

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The national flag of China has a red field with five golden stars at the top left, with one star significantly larger than the rest. The four smaller stars are shaped in an arc on the right of the biggest one. This design has a story behind it.

The flag was designed by a resident of Shanghai, named Zeng Liansong. His design was chosen from some 3,000 drafts. Originally, Zeng had designed it with a hammer to represent factory workers and a sickle for farm labourers. But this was removed because it looked too similar to the flag of the Soviet Union.

The final design was first hoisted on October 1, 1949, and marked the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.

In this photo from October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong stands in Beijing, declaring a new China. Photo: AP
In this photo from October 1, 1949, Mao Zedong stands in Beijing, declaring a new China. Photo: AP

The red background signifies the Chinese Communist Revolution, which ended in 1949 when the communist party won the civil war.

Each star on the flag has its own meaning. The largest one represents the Communist Party. The smaller stars represent four social classes that the party wants to bring together. In simpler terms, these classes are the everyday workers, farmers, small business owners and large industry owners.

The overall pattern is meant to show the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the party.

Use the crossword below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.

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Say It
a story behind it
背後的故事

an interesting or important reason something happened

arc
弧形

a curved shape

field
背景顔色 (旗)

the background colour or pattern of a flag; the main part of the flag that isn’t covered by symbols or designs

hoisted
吊起

to lift something high in the air, such as raising a flag on a pole or lifting a box onto a shelf

social class
社會階層

a way of describing how much money or power someone has in society

Say It
a story behind it
背後的故事

an interesting or important reason something happened

arc
弧形

a curved shape

field
背景顔色 (旗)

the background colour or pattern of a flag; the main part of the flag that isn’t covered by symbols or designs

hoisted
吊起

to lift something high in the air, such as raising a flag on a pole or lifting a box onto a shelf

social class
社會階層

a way of describing how much money or power someone has in society

Answer this

What is the meaning behind the stars on China’s flag?