Five-Star Red Flag Adopted as National Flag
On 27 September 1949, the CPPCC adopted the Five-Star Red Flag as the national flag of the People's Republic of China. Designed by economist Zeng Liansong, the flag's large star represents the Communist Party and the four smaller stars represent the four social classes united under its leadership.
Design Competition
In July 1949, the CPPCC Preparatory Committee issued a nationwide call for national flag designs. It received 2,992 submissions. The selection committee — which included Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, and Guo Moruo — initially favoured a design featuring a yellow horizontal bar across the centre, symbolising the Yellow River.
Mao rejected this design, arguing that the yellow bar symbolised national division. Zeng Liansong's design, which placed a large star and four smaller stars on a red field, was selected after modification — the original design had a hammer and sickle on the large star, which was removed.
Symbolism
The red background represents the Communist revolution and the blood of those who died for it. The large yellow star symbolises the Communist Party of China. The four smaller stars — originally interpreted as representing the working class, peasantry, urban petty bourgeoisie, and national bourgeoisie — surround the large star, each with one point directed towards its centre.
The flag was first raised at Tiananmen on 1 October 1949 by soldier Lian Guoqing, under the direction of military band conductor Ma Zhanshan.