Blue Sky with a White Sun

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The "Blue Sky with a White Sun" flag is the Kuomintang (KMT) party flag and the ROC naval jack.

The Blue Sky with a White Sun (Chinese: 青天白日; pinyin: Qīng tīan bái rì) serves as the design for the party flag and emblem of the Kuomintang (KMT), the canton of the flag of the Republic of China, the national emblem of the Republic of China (ROC), and as the naval jack of the ROC Navy.

青天白日 should be understood in a different way. First and most importantly, the real meaning is not in the 'color of 青', as explained in 林語堂:青天 [qing1tian1], n., (1) the clear, blue sky: 青天白日 in broad daylight; (2) as symbol of justice: 重見青天 regain freedom, freed from prison; formerly, address to judge: 青天大人. 青天白日, in the true sense of the word, was referring to the dark and oppressive rule of the Manchus; Dr.Sun Yet Sen, a revolutioary and one of the original designers of the flag, was fighting for freedom, the freedom of fresh sky and clear sun

In the "Blue Sky with a White Sun" symbol, the twelve rays of the white Sun representing the twelve months and the twelve traditional Chinese hours (時辰 shíchen), each of which corresponds to two modern hours (小時 xiǎoshí, literal meaning: "little shi") and symbolizes the spirit of progress.

[edit] History of the Blue Sky White Sun design

National Emblem of the Republic of China

Party Emblem of the Kuomintang

The "Blue Sky with a White Sun" flag was originally designed by Lu Hao-tung, a "martyr" of the Republican revolution. He presented his design to represent the revolutionary army at the inauguration of the Society for Regenerating China, an anti-Qing society in Hong Kong, on February 21, 1895. In 1905, Sun Yat-sen added a red field to the design to create what would become the current flag of the Republic of China(青天白日满地红).

During the Wuchang Uprising in 1911 that heralded the Republic of China, the various revolutionary armies had different flags. Lu Hao-tung's "Blue Sky with a White Sun" flag was used in the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Guizhou, while the "18-Star Flag", "Five-Colored Flag", and other designs were used elsewhere.

When the government of the Republic of China was established on January 1, 1912, The "Five-Colored" flag was adopted as the national flag, but Sun Yat-sen did not consider its design appropriate, reasoning that horizontal order implied a hierarchy or class like that which existed during dynastic times. Thus, when he established a rival government in Guangzhou in 1917, he brought over the "Blue Sky with a White Sun" flag for the party and the "Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth" (then the naval ensign) for the nation. This officially became the national flag in 1928, and continued to serve as the naval ensign; the "Blue Sky with a White Sun" flag was adopted as the naval jack at the same time.

[edit] Kuomintang Party was paramount

In the early years of the Republic, under the KMT's political tutelage, the KMT party flag shared the same prominence as the ROC flag. A common wall display consisted of the KMT flag perched on the left and the ROC flag perched on the right, each tilted at an angle with a portrait of National Father Sun Yat-sen displayed in the center.

Since the ROC government moved to Taiwan and especially in the years since the end of martial law the KMT flag has lost some of its prominence. However, it is still frequently seen in political rallies and other meetings of KMT and the pan-blue coalition.

[edit] Chinese Taipei Olympic Flag to replace Blue Sky White Sun

Official Chinese Taipei Olympic Flag

During 2008 Beijing Olympic, a Taiwan visitor used a Burma National flag(which is almost identical with Blue Sky White Sun flag) to show support for the Taiwan team.

On 12 Nov 2005, ROC Premier Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) said:

Taiwan and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) came to an agreement in 1981 that the nation's sports teams would use the name Chinese Taipei, as well as the Chinese Taipei Olympic flag during international events -- instead of the national flag and anthem -- in return for being allowed to participate in international sporting events.^[1]

[edit] Abusive remarks aimed at Blue Sky White Sun flag

Liu You-cheng displayed Blue Sky White Sun Flag on winners podium.

2007 Seattle World Cyber Games(WCG) "Project Gotham Racing 3" third place winner from Taiwan, Liu You-cheng(劉祐辰), displayed a Blue Sky White Sun flag during the prize awarding ceremony, and was later confronted by a group of gamers from mainland China, who shouted abusive remarks at Taiwan gamers such as you son of bitch, Chinese pigs, what a rotten flag(refer to the display of Blue Sky White Sun Flag).

[edit] Chen Shui-bian demanded changes

The Blue Sky White Sun flag and the KMT party emblem made news during the ROC legislative elections of 2004, when President Chen Shui-bian suggested that the Kuomintang's flag and party emblem violated the ROC's National Emblem Law for being too similar to the national emblem of the Republic of China. Chen stated that the law forbids the ROC's emblem and flag from being used by non-governmental organizations and warned that the KMT would have three months to change its flag and emblem if his Democratic Progressive Party won a majority of seats in the legislature. The KMT responded by asking the government to change the national emblem, saying the KMT emblem existed first. However, the pan-green coalition failed to win a majority, and Chen took no action for the remainder of his presidency.

[edit] Banned from displaying

• Two Taiwanese students studying in the US were expelled from the stadium in 1996 Atlanta Olympic for waving the Blue Sky White Sun flag, because regulations governing spectators’ carrying national flags were strictly enforced during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 2000 Sydney Olympics.^[2]

• Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) criticized Ma Ying-jeou for ordering Taiwan police to pull down Blue Sky White Sun flags during the visit of Chen Yunlin.

• On 4 June 2006, Mr. Zhang Qi, a member of the Pan-Blue Coalition in Chongqing City , displayed Blue Sky White Sun Flags outside of Chongqing's Hongyan Martyrs Tombs. On June 22, Zhang was arrested by Chongqing's National Protection Brigade, with criminal charges for the "illegal organization engaged in the illegal gathering activity." ^[4]

[edit] Unicode

In Unicode, the "Blue Sky with a White Sun" symbol is (❂).

[edit] See also

This article contains Chinese text. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Chinese characters.

• History of the Republic of China
• Politics of the Republic of China

• Kuomintang
• Dang Guo
• Chinese Taipei
• Wild Strawberry student movement

[edit] References

• Huang, Jewel (Nov. 22, 2004). Chen gives KMT three months to change emblem. Taipei Times.
• Hong, Caroline (23 Nov. 2004). Debate heats up over claims to the sun. Taipei Times.

[edit] Additional source

• (Chinese)「共匪同路人」終於現形！ 李筱峰現任國立台北教育大學台灣文化研究所教授Google translation
• (Chinese) 護旗自焚 劉柏煙子女盼國旗覆棺translation
• s:Open letter to President Ma Ying-jeou, Premier Liu Chao-hsuan, and Republic of China Taiwan
• (Chinese)台選手展國旗領獎 中國罵狗生的Google translation
• (Chinese)中國瘋狂打壓台灣 罄竹難書 記者田世昊Google translation

• 我們已經回到台灣了|author=HRU|pub=台湾电子竞技网|date=2007-10-11Google translation
• (Chinese)中國選手無理挑釁 台灣電玩小子 遺憾Google translation

[edit] Internet video

• Documentary on the visit of communist official Chen Yunlin when Taiwan police pulled down Blue Sky White Sun Flag

[edit] External links

• (Chinese)蠻橫中國隊 搶走台灣隊國旗
• Kuomintang Official Website
• (Chinese)sac.gov.tw:本期專題：奧會模式