China’s current national flag is a red rectangle with a hoist-to-fly ratio of 2:3. Five yellow stars occupy the upper hoist: one large star pointing upward and four smaller stars, each with a point directed toward the large star’s center. It was adopted on 27 September 1949.
Specification
Constitution Article 141 identifies the national flag as red with five stars. National Flag Law Article 2 names it the Five-starred Red Flag and requires manufacture according to the directions promulgated in 1949.
The official specification describes a red field, yellow stars, and a white staff sleeve. The flat specimen shows the flag face without the sleeve. Its reverse is mirrored, keeping the stars beside the hoist.
Colors and manufacture
Specimen screen value / HEX #EE1C25Specimen screen value / HEX #FFFF00These values come from the SVG. They are not statutory HEX definitions or a substitute for fabric color matching. The official standards catalogue lists GB 12982-2004, National flag, and GB 12983-2004, Standard color sample of national flag, as current. This record verifies their catalogue status but does not reproduce unverified physical color coordinates, tolerances, or Pantone equivalents.
Common physical sizes
The official common sizes, stated as fly × hoist in centimeters, are 288 × 192, 240 × 160, 192 × 128, 144 × 96, and 96 × 64. Other sizes for special circumstances retain the same proportions.
Construction notes
The construction directions divide the upper hoist quarter into a 15-column, 10-row grid. Equivalently, use a 30-unit fly and 20-unit hoist for the whole face. In the table, x runs rightward from the hoist and y downward from the top; the origin is the upper hoist corner.
| Star | Center (x, y) | Circumradius | Point direction |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large | (5, 5) | 3 units | Vertically upward |
| Small, uppermost | (10, 2) | 1 unit | Toward (5, 5) |
| Small, upper right | (12, 4) | 1 unit | Toward (5, 5) |
| Small, lower right | (12, 7) | 1 unit | Toward (5, 5) |
| Small, lowermost | (10, 9) | 1 unit | Toward (5, 5) |
For each star, mark five equally spaced points on its circle, connect alternate points, and fill the resulting star outline. The four small stars have different orientations. The reference SVG uses rounded coordinates and rotations; the exact grid above takes precedence for construction.
Symbols and use
The official consular explanation associates red with revolution and the arrangement of stars with the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. This is an attributed explanation of the design.
The National Flag Law provides for display at public institutions, schools, cultural facilities, and national celebrations, and encourages appropriate use by citizens and organizations. Diplomatic and vessel use are addressed through separate competent authorities. Article 9 points to official online artwork published by the National People’s Congress and State Council.
Historical record
The First Plenary Session of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference adopted the design on 27 September 1949; its Presidium promulgated the construction directions the following day. The National Museum of China preserves the flag raised at the proclamation ceremony on 1 October 1949. Adoption, publication of the directions, and ceremonial raising are distinct events.
The National Flag Law was adopted on 28 June 1990 and took effect on 1 October 1990. Its 2020 amendment took effect on 1 January 2021, updating the framework for use while retaining the five-star design. The flag remains current.
Source trail
Sources checked 6 September 2026. Chinese legislation is the primary text; English official publications assist comparison.
- State Council: Constitution, Article 141 ↗ — constitutional identity.
- State Administration for Market Regulation: National Flag Law and appended directions ↗ — Chinese text incorporating the 2020 amendment; name, use, legislative dates, and 1949 construction.
- Supreme People’s Court: English construction directions appended to the flag law ↗ — star grid and drawing method. The page’s earlier law text is not used for current usage rules.
- Hong Kong Government Protocol Division: national flag specifications ↗ — proportions, colors, reverse, sleeve, common sizes, and official online-artwork link.
- Official standards catalogue: GB 12982-2004 ↗ and GB 12983-2004 ↗ — current flag and color-sample standards; catalogue metadata checked.
- Chinese Consulate General in Karachi: National flag ↗ — adoption date and official symbolism.
- National Museum of China: flag raised at the proclamation ↗ — the 1 October 1949 ceremony and surviving object; not a manufacturing specification.
- National People’s Congress: 2020 amendment and consolidated law ↗ — amendment adopted 17 October 2020, effective 1 January 2021.
- Specimen SVG supplied by country-flags ↗; Commons design and public-domain declaration ↗. See the asset register for provenance and rounding notes.
