The national flag of China has a red field with five golden stars at the top left, with one star significantly larger than the rest. The four smaller stars are shaped in an arc on the right of the biggest one. This design has a story behind it.
The flag was designed by a resident of Shanghai, named Zeng Liansong. His design was chosen from some 3,000 drafts. Originally, Zeng had designed it with a hammer to represent factory workers and a sickle for farm labourers. But this was removed because it looked too similar to the flag of the Soviet Union.
The final design was first hoisted on October 1, 1949, and marked the establishment of the People’s Republic of China.
The red background signifies the Chinese Communist Revolution, which ended in 1949 when the communist party won the civil war.
Each star on the flag has its own meaning. The largest one represents the Communist Party. The smaller stars represent four social classes that the party wants to bring together. In simpler terms, these classes are the everyday workers, farmers, small business owners and large industry owners.
The overall pattern is meant to show the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the party.
Use the crossword below to test your knowledge of the vocabulary words in the story.
