Flag of China: stars, meaning and facts for kids

What does the flag of China look like?

The flag of China is red. In the top corner nearest the flagpole are five yellow stars: one big star and four small ones.

What do the stars and the red mean?

The flag was first raised on 1 October 1949. At first, the big star was said to stand for the Communist Party, and the four small stars for four classes of people. Later, the big star came to be said to stand for China, and the small stars for the many smaller groups of people who live there.

Red stands for the revolution. It is also a traditional colour of the Han Chinese people.

Flags that look like the flag of China

Some flags use the same colours or the same shape. Here is how to tell them apart:

China in a nutshell

• Capital city: Beijing
• Continent: Asia
• Countries next door: Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, India, Kazakhstan, North Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan and Vietnam. China and Russia each have 14 countries next door.
• A fact to impress your friends: China uses just one time zone, even though it is wide enough for five.

Quick quiz: the flag of China

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