The flag of Vietnam, or “cờ đỏ sao vàng” (red flag with yellow star), was officially recognized in 1976. It represents a unified Vietnam. The red flag with a yellow star is rectangular, with a width two-thirds of its length, and a red background. In the middle is a five-pointed yellow star. During the country’s public holidays, we see the red flag with yellow stars flying throughout the streets. But not everyone knows the calendar or understands the meaning of Vietnam’s flag. Through this article, I hope you will better understand the meaning and history of the red flag with a yellow star.
History of the flag of Vietnam
During the Cochinchina uprising against the French colonialists in late 1940, the red flag with a yellow star first appeared, was flown in many localities, and then became the flag of the Viet Minh. The first drawing of the flag was made by comrade Nguyen Huu Tien.
In May 1941, the Viet Minh Front was established. In their program, it specified: “after the expulsion of the French colonialists and Japanese Fascists, the People’s Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam will be established, taking the red flag with a five-pointed yellow star as National Flag ”. It was the first document to speak about the national flag of Vietnam.
In the middle of August 1945, the National Assembly, held at Tan Trao (in Tuyen Quang province), decided to adopt the Viet Minh flag (red flag with a yellow star) to lead a revolt to seize power in the country.
The August Revolution of 1945 was successful; the first National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1946 wrote in the Constitution: “The national flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam is rectangular, a width equal to two-thirds of its length, a red background with a five-pointed yellow star in the middle.”
In 1976, after the reunification of Vietnam, the 6th National Assembly of Vietnam adopted the red-and-yellow flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam as the flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with minor changes to the original pattern.
Meaning of the flag of Vietnam
The meaning is that the flag shown in the red background represents the revolution, yellow is the traditional color symbolizing the Vietnamese nation, and the 5-pointed star represents the 5 classes of scholars, peasants, workers, merchants, and soldiers. However, there is another idea that the red flag background symbolizes red blood, the yellow star symbolizes the yellow skin, and the 5-pointed star symbolizes the solidarity of the classes, including scholars, peasants, workers, merchants, and soldiers, in the family of large ethnic groups in Vietnam.
With the Government promulgating the Decree on fixing the National Flag and its approval by the National Assembly, this demonstrates legal consistency in the use of the National Flag and its regulations, as well as confirmation for the people and the international community of the National Flag as a symbol of the Vietnamese people. The red flag with the five-pointed yellow star is used solemnly in all ceremonies and important state events, serving as a sacred symbol representing the spiritual strength of the nation and the pride of the Vietnamese people.
Throughout the nation’s development, at each stage the flag’s form can be edited to make it more beautiful, and regulations on its use are also adjusted.
When you travel to Vietnam, especially during the Vietnam Public Holidays or major events, you will see most houses in the country flying the flag to commemorate the event. It would be a good chance to capture the scene and snap a picture.
Source: collected by An
Comment (0)