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Chinese Nationalities (China)

Last modified: 2020-07-31 by ian macdonald
Keywords: china | nationalities | ethnic flags |
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Today in a report on TV, I saw a Games of Nationalities in China: 54 recognized minorities or nationalities marched under their own flags. Unfortunately was only a small report and only two flags show. One is light blue with elaborate emblem en canton. Another is red with three white Chinese characters. I believe that some nationalities have flag own (and recognized) and others have not yet adopted one, and marched under red flag with the name of their nationality. But is important know that the nations in China has a right to a flag own: 54 new flags undocumented!!!
Jaume Ollé, 19 August 1999

We all know the 52 Chinese Nationalities don't have flags and it is unlikely they would have them in the near future. Several years ago, our Latvian friend from RussoVex-ml, Ilmars Bite, found the webpage of the Russian version of the 'People's Daily' (Renmin Ribao - - Zhenmin Zhibao - 人民日报), an organ of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, presenting a set of emblems of all recognized nationalities of the PRC.
That website (http://russian.people.com.cn/31515/6320561.html) is defunct now (the cached copy shows only the text - no images) but I did save the images and have done a lot of additional research on the Chinese nationalities. Forgot about it until now, and wonder if it would be of any interest to the list members. I can offer to share it with you guys, knowing perfectly well FOTW is not EOTW, but at the same time detecting an interest of some of you in  other symbolics in lieu of non-existing flags. After all, we play frequently with some fictional and dubious materials, and these are real and genuine symbols of the ethnic groups, some numbering in tens, even hundreds, millions of souls. As it took a lot of effort, and is a rather large project, please, let me know if you are interested in it. Otherwise it would be a wasted enterprise.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 16 July 2010

I think this would be very interesting to see. FOTW has also never been exclusively for flags, we have always presented national coats of arms etc. As for these nationalities, I think it would be great if we could present each emblem with words like "this nationality has no official flag, but it has an emblem which looks like this".
Elias Granqvist, 17 July 2010

You are right, there are 55 nationalities + Han, which makes it 56. I've got the number from my own memory, which is, obviously, faulty nowadays.
I did find out it is well above the daily quota to send the images of the emblems to the list, therefore, decided the best immediate solution would be to place them on my Facebook page. It is in the process of developing.
Meanwhile, I was surprized with the discovery of the magnificent new webpage where the emblems are not only shown but described in detail. This website is still being updated, so it would be necessary to have some patience and hope it would be completed.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 18 July 2010

I think most of these emblems are so strict in their form, you could very easily make coats of arms based on them and thus get a basis for banners of arms. Too bad the Chinese communists probably would not be interested in that.
Elias Granqvist, 18 July 2010

Some of these designs are so beautifull one can wonder how splendid it would be to translate them into flags. The project is completed now - all 56 emblems on 135 pages. Included there is a color emblem of the Yao Nationality found on the web.  Maybe, as a bonus, I shoud continue with the emblems of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes?
Chrystian Kretowicz, 20 July 2010

As the Facebook's albums are concerned, it is all there intact. Here is the link again: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=26593&id=1826737355
You may want to go a little further by exploring the albums on the Autonomous Territories, part I and part II at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40004&id=1826737355
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41464&id=1826737355
where you can find all the officially designated "autonomous" subdivisions of the People's Republic.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 20 March 2011