Flag of Taiwan臺灣

What the flag looks like

The flag commonly used by Taiwan consists of a red field with a dark blue canton in the upper hoist corner. Inside the canton is a white sun with twelve triangular rays. The design is officially the national flag of the Republic of China (ROC), the government that has administered Taiwan and several surrounding islands since 1945. The proportion is 2:3. The flag was adopted as the national flag of the Republic of China in 1928 and remains in official use in Taiwan.

Colors and meaning

The blue canton represents justice, democracy and freedom, the white sun represents equality and the twelve rays symbolize the twelve traditional two-hour periods of the day, while the red field represents the sacrifice and blood of those who fought for the Republic of China and the people's livelihood.

Blue canton

Represents justice, democracy and freedom. The blue field originated with the Blue Sky flag associated with the revolutionary movement that preceded the Republic of China.

White sun

Represents brightness, purity and equality. The twelve rays symbolize the twelve traditional two-hour periods of the day and represent continuous progress and activity.

Red field

Represents the spirit of sacrifice and the blood shed by revolutionaries in the struggle to establish and defend the Republic of China. Red is also associated with the people's livelihood, one of the Three Principles of the People.

Three colors

The blue, white and red colors are traditionally associated with the Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy and the people's livelihood. The symbolism is connected to Sun Yat-sen and the revolutionary movement that established the Republic of China.

History and adoption

The flag originated from the revolutionary movement that overthrew the Qing dynasty and established the Republic of China in 1912. The blue canton with the white sun was designed by Lu Hao-tung, a revolutionary associated with Sun Yat-sen. The red field was later combined with the Blue Sky and White Sun design to form the modern flag. The Republic of China formally adopted the current design as its national flag in 1928 under the Nationalist government. After the Chinese Civil War, the government of the Republic of China relocated to Taiwan in 1949, while the People's Republic of China was established on the mainland. The flag has continued to be used as the official national flag by the authorities governing Taiwan and associated islands.

Key facts

Adopted

8 November 1928

Proportion

2:3

Designer

Lu Hao-tung, Sun Yat-sen and others

Capital

Taipei

Country code

TW

Similar flags

Samoa, Liberia

Historical and related flags

The flag's design developed through several stages during the revolutionary and republican history of China.

• Blue Sky and White Sun flag: Designed by Lu Hao-tung in the late 19th century and later adopted by the Kuomintang as its party emblem.
• Five-Colored Flag (1912–1928): Used as the national flag of the early Republic of China, with five horizontal colors representing the country's major ethnic groups.
• 18-Star Flag: Revolutionary military flag used during the 1911 revolution, with eighteen stars representing revolutionary divisions.
• Current Republic of China flag (1928–present): Red field with the Blue Sky and White Sun canton.
• Republic of China Navy flag: Uses the Blue Sky and White Sun design without the surrounding red field.
• Kuomintang flag: Uses the same Blue Sky and White Sun symbol on a red field as the party emblem, but is distinct from the national flag in its official use.

Frequently asked questions

What does the flag of Taiwan look like?

The flag commonly used by Taiwan has a red field with a dark blue rectangle in the upper hoist corner containing a white sun with twelve rays. The blue represents justice and freedom, the white sun represents democracy and equality, and the red field represents sacrifice and the people's livelihood. The proportion is 2:3.

When was the flag of Taiwan adopted?

The current flag of Taiwan was officially adopted on 8 November 1928.

What do the colors mean?

The blue canton represents justice, democracy and freedom, the white sun represents equality and the twelve rays symbolize the twelve traditional two-hour periods of the day, while the red field represents the sacrifice and blood of those who fought for the Republic of China and the people's livelihood.

Which flags look similar to the Taiwan flag?

Taiwan's flag shares the combination of a red field and blue canton with some other flags, but its white sun with twelve rays makes it distinctive. Samoa also has a blue canton on a red field, while Liberia uses red and white stripes with a blue canton and white star.