Zeng Liansong
曾联松
1917–1999
- Economist
- Designer of the Five-Star Red Flag
Biography
Designing the National Flag
Zeng Liansong was born in 1917 in Ruian, Zhejiang Province, and spent his career as an economist in Shanghai. In July 1949, the CPPCC Preparatory Committee issued a nationwide call for national flag designs; Zeng entered as an amateur designer. His submission featured a red field with one large and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars in the upper left corner. The large star represented the Communist Party of China; the four smaller stars represented the four social classes, each oriented with one point directed towards the centre of the large star, symbolising the unity of all classes under Party leadership.
Selection and Modification
From 2,992 entries, Zeng's design advanced to the final selection. The committee chaired by Mao Zedong made one significant modification: the original design included a hammer and sickle within the large star, which was removed on the grounds that it too closely resembled Soviet iconography. On 27 September 1949, the CPPCC First Plenary Session formally adopted the design as the national flag of the People's Republic of China. Zeng was subsequently awarded five million yuan (old renminbi) and received official recognition. He continued working as an economist in Shanghai until his death in 1999.