Vietnam’s current national flag is a red rectangle with a yellow five-pointed star in the center. Its hoist-to-fly ratio is 2:3. The star points upward and has an outer radius equal to one-fifth of the fly length. The present state adopted the flag on 2 July 1976. [1] [2] [3]
Specification
Article 13(1) of the Constitution, retained in the official 2025 consolidated text, defines the rectangle, proportions, red field, and central five-pointed yellow star. The designation is the national flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; cờ đỏ sao vàng describes the red flag with a yellow star. [1]
Colors
The ministry guidance names bright red and bright yellow. The sources checked supply no numeric textile, Pantone, RAL, RGB, or HEX standard. These swatches reproduce the selected SVG only; they are not physical production specifications. [2] [6]
#DA251D / specimen screen approximation#FFFF00 / specimen screen approximationConstruction notes
Ministry guidance 3420/HD-BVHTTDL of 2 October 2012, citing Circular 68/VHTT-TT of 24 August 1993, centers the star at the intersection of the flag’s diagonals. One point faces upward, perpendicular to the long edge. The star’s sides are straight, without rounded or bulging arms; the stars on the two faces coincide. [2]
| Element | Position or measure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Field | 30 fly × 20 hoist | Constitutional 2:3 ratio |
| Star center | (15, 10) from upper hoist | Diagonal intersection |
| Outer radius | 6 units | One-fifth of 30 |
| Upper tip | (15, 4) | Upright orientation |
The specimen uses equivalent coordinates: viewBox −15 −10 30 20, center (0, 0), and top tip (0, −6). Repeated and reflected paths form the five arms. The oversized red background is clipped to the viewport. These are inspected asset coordinates, not additional statutory dimensions. [6]
The official historical account reproduces an older radius described as “nearly” one-fifth of the length. The later ministry guidance says one-fifth; that explicit proportion governs this current specimen. Earlier drawings should not be treated as interchangeable construction masters. [5] [2]
Historical record
The red-and-yellow national design was prescribed in September 1945. Decree 249/SL of 30 November 1955 revised the star to straight sides. These are earlier design milestones, separate from the National Assembly’s resolution of 2 July 1976 establishing the flag for the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. This record covers the current state’s flag from 1976 onward. [4] [5] [3]
Symbols
The Hải Phòng procuracy’s explanatory account associates red with sacrifice and resolve, and the five star points with unity among intellectuals, farmers, workers, merchants, and soldiers. This is attributed symbolism, separate from the legal drawing rules. [5]
Usage
The 2012 guidance addresses official meetings, public buildings, holidays, and ceremonial display. It directs that the star must not be inverted. Event-specific display follows the relevant authorities’ notices; this entry does not reproduce a complete current protocol calendar. [2]
Source trail
Checked 13 September 2026. Vietnamese texts govern; English descriptions here are editorial summaries.
- Official Gazette: consolidated Constitution, Article 13(1), printed page 64 ↗ — current constitutional identity and proportions; PDF text checked.
- Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism: guidance 3420/HD-BVHTTDL, Section I ↗ — official-hosted copy; direct retrieval timed out. Full-text transcription ↗ checked against the official account in [5] and indexed PDF text; geometry, color names, and usage.
- National Assembly Library: resolution of 2 July 1976 ↗ — official catalogue confirms date and subject; full scan requires access. Bàn Cờ school, municipal education portal: reproduced resolution ↗ — clause 2 specifies red with a central five-pointed yellow star.
- Government document catalogue: Decree 249/SL ↗ — 30 November 1955 revision; description corroborated by [5].
- Hải Phòng People’s Procuracy: Quốc kỳ Việt Nam ↗ — historical instruments, older approximate radius, later guidance, and attributed symbolism.
- country-flags: retrieved SVG ↗; repository provenance ↗; Commons contributor history and public-domain declaration ↗. See the local asset register for geometry and modifications.
