The flag of the People's Republic of China
(Abstract)
The red flag with five yellow stars of the People's Republic of China was officially adopted in 1949, on the day the republic was founded.
According to official sources, red symbolizes the blood of the heroes who died during the Chinese revolution. Yellow is associated with the history and culture of the Chinese people. Nevertheless, the colours of the flag seem to have been inspired by the flag of the former Soviet Union.
Still according to official sources, the large star represents the common programme of the Chinese Communist Party while the four smaller ones appear as the social classes unified under its aegis: workers, peasants, petty bourgeois and capitalists in favour of the Party. Other classifications were suggested that all depict the people's unity under the authority of the Party.
In fact, it is easy to multiply social interpretations, but China is a too old civilization not to evoke other symbols dating back to the dawn of time. The five-branched star, in particular, wonderfully illustrates the process of manifestation of the physical aspects in relation with yin and yang principles, which are so deeply rooted in the Chinese tradition.
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