Flag of Taiwan

The flag of Taiwan has a red backdrop with a blue upper left quadrant and on it is a white sun with twelve rays. The flag of Taiwan (also, the flag of Republic of China as the ROC relocated to Taiwan after its defeat in Mainland China) is also known as the white sun in the blue sky, although the more precise description would be white sun, blue sky, and red land.

The rays of the sun symbolizes the twelve hours of the day as according to the Chinese traditional hours which corresponds to two hours each of present day time system, and the twelve months of the year. The red earth signifies the blood and the sacrifice of the people who fought to overthrow the Qing dynasty and helped established the Republic of China (ROC).

The white sun in the blue sky canton also represents the Kuomintang party or KMT (Chinese Nationalist Party) and the red background is a traditional color favored by the Chinese and represents the Han Chinese race as well.

The three colors represent the Three Principles of the People according to Sun Yat-sen: nationalism (blue), democracy (white), and people’s livelihood (red). The colors blue, white, and red also mean liberty, equality, and fraternity, accordingly, which in a way is the same with the flag of France that also has the same colors and meaning; the only difference is to what color a virtue is associated.

The “clear sun in the blue sky” concept was made by a Republican Revolution martyr, Lu Hao-tung. He presented the design as a representation of the revolutionary army at the Society for Regenerating China’s inauguration on Feb. 21, 1895. Later, it was adopted by the KMT as its official flag. The red Earth was incorporated by Sun Yat-sen in 1906.