Flag of Vietnam – Brief History & Meaning Behind the Colours

Last Updated on September 22, 2021

Flag of Vietnam
Flag of Vietnam

The flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, or Cờ đỏ sao vàng (red flag with a golden star), also Cờ Tổ quốc (flag of Fatherland), was designed in 1940 and used during an uprising against the French in southern Vietnam that year. The red background symbolizes bloodshed, revolution and struggle. The yellow star represents the five main classes in Vietnamese society — workers, farmers, soldiers, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs.

The flag was used by the Viet Minh, a communist-led organization created in 1941 to oppose Japanese occupation. At the end of World War II, Viet Minh leader Ho Chi Minh proclaimed Vietnam independent and signed a decree on 5 September 1945 adopting the flag as the flag of the North Vietnam. The DRV became the government of North Vietnam in 1954 following the Geneva Accords. The flag was modified on 30 November 1955 to make the rays of the star pointier.  Until the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, South Vietnam used a yellow flag with three red stripes. The red flag of North Vietnam was later adopted as the flag of the unified Vietnam in 1976. The flag of Vietnam is the only flag amongst South East Asian nations that does not contain the colour white, with red and yellow/gold being its historical national colours.

Brief History of the Flag of Vietnam

In the 18th century, one of the original flags was adopted by Emperor Gia Long. This flag was a yellow banner with a red circle placed in the center. The flag of South Vietnam was designed at the end of the 19th century and featured three stars that represented the Qian trigram. In later years, these stripes represented the northern, southern and central regions of the nation. In the late 19th century, the flag of France was flown when this country took control of Vietnam. Throughout different regions, other flags were flown, including the Vietnamese imperial flag.

A flag similar to one used today was adopted in 1945. Ten years later, the flag was modified to sharpen the edges of the star. This flag was first used by North Vietnam. South Vietnam on the other hand used a yellow flag featuring three red stripes. When Vietnam was unified in 1976, the flag of North Vietnam was adopted.

Meaning Behind the Colours of the Flag of Vietnam

The Vietnam flag has a very simple design but it has deep meaning behind it. The flag features one five-pointed star in the center. Each point of the star is representative of the main classes of society in Vietnam. One point represents intellectuals. The second point represents farmers. Another point is meant to represent workers. Businessmen are represented by the fourth point, and military personnel are the final class symbolized on this national flag.

The flag of Vietnam features just two colors. The flag features a red field, which is designed to symbolize the national uprising of the Vietnam people. The center features a gold five-pointed star that symbolizes the main classes of society in the nation. It is these colors that has lent to the flag’s nickname, which in English translates to “red flag with a gold star.”


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