PlacesAsiaVietnam
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  • The red and yellow flag of Vietnam made its appearance in 1955, when the country was divided between North and South. It began as the flag of North Vietnam and became that of the entire nation in 1976, after the Vietnam War.

    Features

    The Vietnamese flag is a red field, with a large, five-pointed yellow star in the center. The design is based on the flag of the Vietminh, the movement founded by Communist leader Ho Chi Minh.

    Significance

    Vietnam is a Communist country. The red of the Vietnamese flag is associated with Communism. Red dominant in the flags of China and North Korea, also Communist countries.

    Symbolism

    According to ancient heraldry, the color red symbolizes strength and valor, while yellow symbolizes generosity. However, a poem by Nguyen Huu Tien, the flag's designer, states that the colors symbolize the red blood and yellow skin of the Vietnamese people.

    Function

    The yellow, five-pointed star symbolizes five political classes: the workers, the peasants, the military, the intellectuals and the bourgeoisie.

    Controversy

    Many Vietnamese living outside the country, especially those who fled after the Vietnam War, regard the red and yellow flag as offensive.

    Source:

    Maps and Flags of the World: Vietnam

    Flags and Nations of the World: Vietnam

    Resource:

    Vietnamese Embassy in U.S.: Flag Designer Urban Myths Squelched

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