Flag of the Republic of China (1912–1928)

What the flag looks like

Five equal horizontal stripes of red, yellow, blue, white and black.

What it means

The five colors are usually said to stand for the five major peoples of the republic: the Han (red), Manchus (yellow), Mongols (blue), Hui (white) and Tibetans (black).

How to remember it

The early Republic of China flew five plain stripes, red, yellow, blue, white and black, one for each of its "five races"; Manchukuo squeezed four of them into the corner of a yellow flag.

Fun facts

• It was replaced nationally in 1928 by the Kuomintang's flag with the white sun on a blue canton, after the Northern Expedition reunified the country.
• The five-colored flag was revived in the late 1930s by the Japanese-backed Reformed Government of the Republic of China.

Republic of China (1912–1928) at a glance

Existed

1912–1928

Flag used

1912–1928

Succeeded by

Nationalist government in Nanjing

Capital

Beijing

Region

1912–1928

Languages

Chinese

Flag adopted

1912

Flags often confused with the Republic of China (1912–1928)

• Manchukuo: The early Republic of China and Manchukuo both use red, blue, white and black stripes. The Republic of China has five full-width stripes including yellow; Manchukuo is a yellow flag with four thin stripes only in the upper hoist corner.