Flag of the Qing dynasty
Officially Great Qing
Locally Dà Qīng · 大清
What the flag looks like
A yellow field with a blue dragon stretched across it, its head turned towards a red pearl in the upper hoist corner.
What it means
Yellow was the imperial color of the Qing, and the dragon was the symbol of the emperor.
How to remember it
Qing China's
Yellow Dragon Flag has a blue dragon chasing a red pearl across a yellow field; Bhutan's
dragon is white and lies on a yellow-and-orange diagonal.
Fun facts
- The Yellow Dragon Flag was first triangular and was made rectangular in 1889.
- It was China's first national flag, created when the Qing navy needed an ensign for dealings with foreign powers.
Qing dynasty at a glance
- Existed
- 1644–1912
- Flag used
- 1889–1912
- Today
- China, Mongolia and Taiwan
- Capital
- Beijing
- Region
- 1644–1912
- Languages
- Chinese, Manchu
- Flag adopted
- 1889
Flags often confused with the Qing dynasty
- Bhutan: Qing China and Bhutan both feature a dragon on yellow. Qing China's dragon is blue on an all-yellow field with a red pearl; Bhutan's is white and lies along a diagonal between yellow and orange.