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Flag Proposals of PR China - 1949

Last modified: 2020-07-31 by ian macdonald
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[Flag of China]
image by António Martins-Tuválkin, 09 May 2016


See also:

Overview

When the Communist nearly got to power, they try to collect flag designs from the people. Later when the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) were deciding the flag in September 1949, there was a design more favoured by the members than the five-star flag: one similar to Vietnam's but there is a horizontal stripe running immediately under the star, which meant Chinese (yellow race), Hwang He (Yellow River), and a united front towards Communism.

But some did oppose this flag as they thought the yellow stripe could symbolize the "fruits of revolution being 'cut off' ('the red flag of revolution cut by the stripe"), and an ex-KMT even told that to Mao Zedong. Mao then asked Zhou Enlai to check about the tendency on the choice of flags. Zhou reported the "star and stripe" flag would gain enough support to get a pass -- it gained some two-thirds to three quarters' support, but then there were those strongly opposed of this. He thought that Mao should change it to a flag that can be supported for all, and recommended the five-star. Later in a occasion, where some CPPCC members went to see Mao on the flag affair, Mao openly recommended the five-star -- so it was no surprise that the five star got passed unanimously on 27 September 1949.
Samuel Curtis, 17 November 1999


Extracted from ChineseBusinessWorld.com:

Zeng Liansong was born in the city of Ruian of Zhejiang. In July 15 1949, he read the notice in People's Daily that the new Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference was collecting the design for the new China national flag. He was very excited after reading the notice. He read it and read it again, and could not fall asleep for the ensuing several nights. He decided to give it a try. Then he had his big idea: "Why not have a big star with a Communist hammer and sickle, and several smaller stars symbolizing the Chinese people united around the Communist Party?" he thought. Then he began to think through the details. How many small stars should there be? In On the People's Democratic Dictatorship, Mao Zedong wrote that the "people" included workers, peasants, petty bourgeoisie and bourgeoisie. Thus, he chose four. The color should be yellow, bright against the revolutionary red backdrop. Yellow, he says, also implied New China belongs to the Chinese people, a "yellow race". Positioning proved a problem. First, he tried dead center. But it looked dull and heavy. Last of all, he tried the upper left corner. Suddenly, the flag looked quite different. The whole idea seemed to fall into place. He drew it out again and mailed it in mid August. The first session of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, September 27, formally approved the design. Newspapers all over China published the design. Zeng was very excited and happy about the similarity, but he did not dare believe it was his own: The final design had no hammer and sickle. Then Zeng received a letter from the General Office of the People's Government: "Mr Zeng Liansong, your design of the national flag has already been adopted. We will give you a CPPCC album and 5 million yuan (500 new yuan), to thank you for your contribution to our country.

The same page has additional explanation about the latest adaptations of the original design before it was finally accepted and aproved. There is also a photo of the original design and several proposals of that time.
Valentin Poposki, 13 April 2007

Second proposal by Zeng Liansong

[Second proposal by Zeng Liansong]
by Marcus Schmöger

First proposal by Zeng Liansong

[First proposal by Zeng Liansong]
by Marcus Schmöger

Reconstructed Chinese flag proposal

[Reconstructed Chinese flag proposal]
by Marcus Schmöger

Reconstructed Chinese flag proposal

[Reconstructed Chinese flag proposal]
by Marcus Schmöger

Reconstructed Chinese flag proposal

[Reconstructed Chinese flag proposal]
by Marcus Schmöger

[Note: the reconstructions are based on estimates by the author and may not be accurate]


In 1949, 38 proposals were selected at the final stage to make a Chinese national flag. Finally Zeng Lian Song design Proposal No. 32 was selected and modified to the current Chinese national flag.
Source: "Wuxinghongqi" (五星红旗 ) published in China 2002.
Nozomi Kariyasu, 19 December 2009


Proposal No. 1:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with a yellow star in canton and yellow horizontal thin bar from fly end to beneath the star.

Proposal No. 2:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with a yellow star in canton and yellow horizontal thin bar from fly end to the star point.

Proposal No. 3:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Zheng Kuo Du. The red flag with a yellow star in canton and yellow horizontal thin bar from fly end to hoist.

Proposal No. 4:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Mo Zong Jiang. The yellow over red flag with a red star in canton.

Proposal No. 5:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Liang Cong Jie. The red flag with yellow horizontal bar upper part and a red star in canton.

Proposal No. 6:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Hu Yuan Qing. The red flag with a yellow star in canton and three horizontal yellow thin bars.

Proposal No. 7:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Luo Wen. The red, yellow,red horizontal three stripes with a yellow star in canton.

Proposal No. 8:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Guo Mo Ruo and drawn by Zhou Guang Yuan. The red flag with two horizontal yellow thin bars and a yellow star in canton.

Proposal No. 9:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed jointly by Zhuang Ding , Zhuong Ling and Zhou Guang Yuan. The red, yellow, red horizontal three stripes with a red star in the center.

Proposal No.10:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 19 December 2009

Designed by Guo Mo Ruo. The red flag with a yellow star in canton and two blue thin horizontal bars.

Proposal No 11:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Mo Zong Jiang. The white over red flag with red star in canton.

Proposal No 12:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed jointly by Zhang Ding , Zhong Ling and Zhou Guang Yuan. The red, white, red horizontal three stripes with red star in the center.

Proposal No 13:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed jointly by Zhang Ding , Zhong Ling , Zhou Guang Yuan and Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with red star in white canton.

Proposal No 14:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Yan Xing Hua. The red flag with white panel hoist and red star in canton.

Proposal No 15:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Zhang Ding and drawn by Zhu De. The red flag with white fimbriated red star in blue canton.

Proposal No 16:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with red star in white canton charged with two blue horizontal bars.

Proposal No 17:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with red star in white canton and two white horizontal bars lower part.

Proposal No 18:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Yang Tai Yang. The red flag with red star in yellow canton.

Proposal No 19:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Wu Yu Zhang and drawn by Ai Qing. The red flag with red star in yellow disc.

Proposal No 20:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Yang Tai Yang. The red, yellow, red vertical three stripes with red star in the center.

Proposal No. 21:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed  by Ai Qing. The red flag with red star in yellow triangle hoist.

Proposal No. 22:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Pang Xun Gin. The red flag with red star in white disc in yellow triangle hoist. The white Chinese letter ¹© inside the star.

Proposal No. 23:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Wu Yu Zhang and drawn by Mei Shu Gong Ying She. The red flag with yellow star and ¹© surrounded by yellow wreath.

Proposal No. 24:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed jointly designed by Zhang Ding and Zhong Ling. The red flag with red star surrounded by yellow wreath and three yellow stars beneath in blue canton.

Proposal No. 25:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Jiang Da Zhong. The red , white , red horizontal three stripes with yellow star ,wheat ears and cog in the center.

Proposal No. 26:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Yu Zhuo Sheng.  The red flag with yellow star and crossed pick and hoe surrounded by wreath in canton.
It is similar to the former Congolese flag.

Proposal No. 27:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed jointly designed by Zhang Ding and Zhong Ling.  The red, yellow, red horizontal three stripes with yellow fimbriated red star in top stripe, red crossed hammer and sickle in middle stripe and yellow three stars in bottom stripe.

Proposal No. 28:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Bao Qi Quan.  The red flag with crossed red hammer and sickle in yellow cog in canton and yellow three stars.

Proposal No. 29:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Cheng Lu. The red flag with red star and yellow wreath in white cog in canton.

Proposal No. 30:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Kang Jian. The red flag with white star in green disc and white cog in the center.

Proposal No 31:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Mo Hong Shu. The red flag with white star and cog in canton.

Proposal No 32:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Zeng Lian Song. The red flag with yellow large star with red crossed hammer and sickle inside surrounded by four yellow small stars in canton.

Proposal No 33:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Cheng Duo. The red flag with five yellow stars , yellow crossed hammer and sickle and yellow four U lines in canton.

Proposal No 34:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Fang. The red flag with blue cross in white panel hoist.

Proposal No 35:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Fang. The red flag with white cross in blue panel hoist.

Proposal No 36:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with yellow star in canton and yellow horizontal thick bar from fly end to beneath star.

Proposal No 37:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with yellow star in canton and yellow horizontal thick unbroken bar.

Proposal No 38:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

Designed by Xiao Shu Hua. The red flag with yellow star in canton and yellow horizontal thick bar from fly end to the star point.


Besides above 38 proposals, there are two more proposals with unknown designer names:

Proposal No 39:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

The first republic flag of red, yellow, blue, white and black horizontal five stripes with yellow crossed hammer and sickle in canton.

Proposal No. 40:

[Flag Proposal of China]
image by Jaume Ollé and modified Kazutaka Nishiura, 20 December 2009

The red flag with No. 39 design in canton.