List of Taiwanese flags
 | This article needs more citations. (August 2016) |
Taiwan has been controlled by various governments and has been associated with various flags throughout its history. Since 1945, Taiwan has been governed by the Republic of China (ROC), and since 1949, it has served as the ROC's principal territorial base. Accordingly, the flag most commonly associated with Taiwan today is the Flag of the Republic of China.[1][2][3]
The first national flag of Taiwan was first used in 1663 during the Kingdom of Tungning, which had a plain white flag with the character 鄭 (zhèng) on the red bordered circle. The flag of the Qing dynasty was also used from 1862 until 1895, when the Republic of Formosa was declared. The Formosan flag had a tiger on a plain blue field with azure clouds below it. [4]
During Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, Taiwan was governed as part of the Japanese Empire, and the national flag of Japan was used by the colonial administration. [5]
Following the transfer of the control of Taiwan from Japan to China in 1945, the national flag was specified in Article Six of the 1947 Constitution of the Republic of China. After the Chinese Civil War in 1949, the government of Chiang Kai-shek relocated the Republic of China (ROC) to the island of Taiwan. [6]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flags of the Republic of China.
Current flag
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1945–Present | Flag of the Republic of China | A red field, with a blue canton containing a 12-ray white sun. |
Historical flags
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1624–1662 | Flag of Dutch Formosa | Same as the Flag of the Dutch East India Company |
 | 1626–1642 | Flag of Spanish Formosa | Same as the Flag of the Spanish Empire |
 | 1661–1683 | Flag of the Kingdom of Tungning | The Han character "鄭" (zheng) in a red circle outline on a plain white field. |
.svg) | 1890–1895 | Flag of the Qing Dynasty | Azure Dragon on a plain yellow field with the red sun of the three-legged crow in the upper left corner. |
.svg) | 1895 | Flag of the Republic of Formosa | Tiger on a plain blue field with azure clouds below it. |
.svg) | 1895–1945 | Flag of Japan for use in Taiwan | White field with red disc in the centre. |
Royal flags
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1626–1642 | Royal Flag of the House of Habsburg in Spain. (Inescutcheon of Portugal in the Royal arms) | |
 | 1863–1895 | Standard of the Qing Emperor | Azure Dragon on a plain right triangle yellow field with the red sun of the three-legged crow in the upper left corner. |
 | 1895-1945 | Imperial Standard of the Japanese Empire | Red field with the golden 16-petal chrysantemum in the centre. |
Political divisions
[edit]Below are the flags used in the political divisions of Taiwan.
Provinces
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1945-2018 | Taiwan Province | A bright yellow background with a light blue circular seal with a map of Taiwan the same color of the background & the Republic of China (Taiwan)'s flag in the center with the nation's nation flowers, the plum blossoms, and a black ring surrounding it. There is red text on the bottom that says "Taiwan Provincial Government" in Traditional Chinese. |
Special municipalities
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 2009–Present | Kaohsiung City 高雄市 | Stylized "高". Colors symbolizing sunshine, vitality, environmental protection, & ocean.[7] |
 | 2009–Present | New Taipei City 新北市 | Highly stylized "北" in the form of four hearts arranged to resemble a four-leaf clover.[8] |
 | 2009–Present | Tainan City | |
 | 2009–Present | Taipei City | |
 | 2014–Present | Taoyuan City |
Provincial cities
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Chiayi City | ||
 | Keelung City |
Counties
[edit]
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.svg)
Military flags
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1945– present | Flag of the Republic of China Army (formerly National Revolutionary Army) | The Blue Sky with a White Sun with a red border. |
 | Republic of China Navy | Identical to the Kuomintang flag (see below). | |
 | Republic of China Air Force | ||
 | Republic of China Marine Corps | ||
 | Republic of China Military Police | ||
 | Armed Forces | ||
 | Armed Forces Reserve | ||
 | Republic of China Military Academy | ||
 | Combined Logistics Command | ||
 | ROCA General's Flag | ||
 | Coast Guard Administration | ||
 | Chairman of the ROC Military Affairs Commission | ||
 | National Defense University |
Other state flags
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1929– | Commander-in-chief flag of the Republic of China, also known as standard of the president of the Republic of China | |
 | 1930– | Standard of the vice president of the Republic of China (abolished) | |
| 1947–1986 | Standard of the vice president of the Republic of China | Abolished with Act of Ensign of the Republic of China Navy (海軍旗章條例) on Jan. 3rd, 1986. |
 | 1929–1966 | Civil ensign of the Republic of China | Four serrated yellow stripes are added to the flag of the Republic of China for use as a civil ensign at sea. Present civil ensign is national flag. |
Political party flags
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1894– | Kuomintang flag (shared as the Naval Jack of the nation) | The "Blue Sky with a White Sun", 12 rays of the sun represent progressive ideals. |
 | 1923- | Young China Party flag | |
.svg) | 1927–1931 | Taiwanese People's Party flag | |
 | 1952– | China Youth Corps flag | |
 | 1986– | Democratic Progressive Party flag | |
_flag.svg) | 1989– | Labor Party (Taiwan) flag | |
 | 1993- | New Party (Taiwan) flag | |
| 1996–2020 | Taiwan Independence Party flag | ||
 | 2000– | People First Party flag | |
 | 2009–2020 | Taiwan Democratic Communist Party flag | |
 | 2015–2019 | Minkuotang flag | |
 | 2017– | Taiwan People's Communist Party flag | |
Chinese Taipei sports flags
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
.svg) | 1981–1986 | Chinese Taipei Olympic flag. | The ROC is recognized as "Chinese Taipei" in the Olympics, due to the political status of Taiwan. |
.svg) | 1986–2010 | Chinese Taipei Olympic flag. | The ROC is recognized as "Chinese Taipei" in the Olympics, due to the political status of Taiwan. |
 | 2010– | Chinese Taipei Olympic flag. | The ROC is recognized as "Chinese Taipei" in the Olympics, due to the political status of Taiwan. |
.svg) | 1994-2004 | Chinese Taipei Paralympic flag | |
.svg) | 2004-2019 | Chinese Taipei Paralympic flag | |
 | 2019-Present | Chinese Taipei Paralympic flag | |
.svg) | 1997-2019 | Chinese Taipei Deaflympics flag | |
 | 2019-Present | Chinese Taipei Deaflympics flag | |
 | 2014-Present | Chinese Taipei Volleyball Association flag | |
 | Pre-2006 | Chinese Taipei football flag | |
 | 2006-2012 | Chinese Taipei football flag | The Chinese Taipei Olympic flag replaced this flag as the football flag in 2012 |
| 2012-Present | Chinese Taipei football flag | |
 | 2009-Present | Chinese Taipei Universiade flag | |
.svg) | 2013-Present | Chinese Taipei WorldSkills flag | |
.svg) | 2019-Present | Chinese Taipei FIRST Robotics Competition flag | |
 | 2016-Present | Chinese Taipei electronic sports flag used in Blizzard competitions. |
Other historical flags
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 1981–2010 | Flag of Taipei City | Previous flag used by Taipei City, with its seal on top of 16 horizontal stripes of white and blue. |
.svg) | 1999-2006 | Old flag of New Taipei City | |
.svg) | 1980s-1999 | Old flag of New Taipei City | |
.svg) | 2006-2010 | Old flag of New Taipei City | |
.svg) | ?-2010 2018-2019 | Old flag of Hsinchu County | |
.png) | 2010-2018 | Old flag of Hsinchu County | |
 | 1951-2010 | Old flag of Taichung County | |
.svg) | 1978-2010 | Old flag of Tainan City | |
 | ?-2010 | Old flag of Tainan County | |
.svg) | 1974-2009 | Old flag of Kaohsiung City | |
.svg) | ?-1999 | Old flag of Kaohsiung County | |
 | 1999-2010 | Old flag of Kaohsiung County | |
.svg) | 1984-2014 | Old flag of Taitung County | |
Ethnic groups flags
[edit]Indigenous
[edit]| Flag | Duration | Use | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
 | 2018–present | Flag of Tao people | A white flag with the traditional "boat's eye" symbol and traditional triangular ornaments on the top and bottom.[9] |
의_깃발.png) | 2017–present | Flag of Rukai people | The "Lily Flag" composed of three colors: red, yellow and green, representing hope, love and peace. The lilies and eagle feathers represent the purity and fairness of the Rukai tribe, was designed by Jin Shaohua.[10] |
 | 2017–present | Flag of Taiwanese indigenous peoples in Taichung | |
 | 2016–present | "National flag" of Amis people in the Amis Music Festival.[11][12] | |
 | ?–present | Flag of Amis people in Taidong (Falangaw tribezh) | |
 | 1984–1998 | Flag of Taiwan Association for the Promotion of Aboriginal Rightszh | |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ↑ "President Ma's addrss at 2011 International Law Association Asia-Pacific Regional Conference". Mainland Affairs Council Republic of China (Taiwan). 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Constitution of the Republic of China (Taiwan)". Office of the President Republic of China (Taiwan). Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Historical Documents - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ Davidson, James Wheeler (1903). The island of Formosa, past and present. History, people, resources, and commercial prospects. Tea, camphor, sugar, gold, coal, sulphur, economical plants, and other productions. University of California Libraries. London and New York : Macmillan & co.; Yokohama [etc.] Kelly & Walsh, ld. pp. 48–82.
- ↑ Ling-Shi, Meng (2020). "Japanese Rule (1895-1945)" (PDF). Taiwan Taipei District Prosecutors Office (臺灣臺北地方檢察署), operating under the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) of Taiwan. Retrieved 28 August 2026.
- ↑ "Historical Documents - Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2026-08-28.
- ↑ 市徽市旗. 高雄市政府 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 30 September 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ↑ 新北市標誌. 新北市政府 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 8 October 2013. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
- ↑ "Tao Tribe of Orchid Island (Taiwan)". Archived from the original on 11 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ↑ 升起「百合族旗」 魯凱族原住民族議會今成立 – 生活. 3 April 2017. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ↑ 旗飄揚、歌高唱：阿米斯音樂節如何形塑都蘭的部落認同. theinitium.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 2022-12-31.
- ↑ 「不要放棄自己，生命不會重來。」阿美族創作鬼才舒米恩Suming，質樸歌聲傳遞溫暖力量. 18 October 2019.
