Who identifies self with the Five-star Red Flag?

by Wan Zhi

August 26, 2008

In its editorial on 25th of Augusty, one editor of Swedish Daily wrote that the just finished Beijing Olympic Games 2008 would be remembered for its plenty of symbols for showing a ”modern” China. It is true that symbols are the most representatives of cultures, and one culture is simply a collection of symbols, as this is almost a consensus for modern cultural semiotics and cultural studies. Therefore, it would be significant to discuss about one of the most important symbols at this Olympic Games, that is, the Five-star Red Flag, the Chinese national flag, and find out the meanings this symbol conveys.

This Five-star Red Flag was stipulated as China’s national flag in 1949 when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took the power in the mainland China and established People’s Republic of China, and at the same time abolished the national flag of the Republic of China which was founded by Sun Yatsen in 1911, and that is also the flag that the government in Taiwan still uses today. This Five-star Red Flag has become the official symbol for China ever since then. At this Olympic Games, except that both at the opening and at the closing there was the Five-star Red Flag raising ceremony, each time when Chinese sportman or women got a medal, there would be one Five-star Red Flag raising, so that 100 medals China got this time would mean 100 times of this Five-star Red Flag raisings. We would certainly not forget that hundred thousands of the Five-star Red Flags that audience waved, and same symboles at people and Chinese sportmen and women’s cloth and uniforms, and even painted at their cheeks. Before the Olympic Games started, the Olympic Fire relay all over the world caused some conflicts, in Paris, in London, in Los Angelus, etc. Many oversea Chinese students and young or old people, who were usually very insensitive in politics, suddenly appeared in the streets to demonstrate their anger against West media and defend the Beijing Olympic Games, and we could then see thousands of such Five-star Red Flags appearing in the main streets where the Olympic Fire went. This scene really suprised many local people. Now the whole world also know that the lovely girl who ”sang” at the opening ceremony was actually a fake. But I am sure that not so many foreigners would know what she was ”singing”. However, almost all Chinese knows, because this is one song all Chinese children learnt and learn and will learn from schools. I can remember the text clearly because I did sing it hundred of times when I lived in China. The title is ”Praising My Motherland”, and the first sentence is ” The Five-star Red Flag is fluttering in the wind….”

What is the meaning of this Five-star Red Flag which has become a symbol of China? What is there a big star surrounded by four small stars? Why does it have a red background? I guess that not many foreigners know about these, but all Chinese know because answers to these questions are included in the political education that all Chinese must receive already from their childhood, and often included in the examinations for students to enter middle schools, high schools and universities. Chinese schools still have this Five-star Red Flag raising cerenomony every school day morning. All students know that this big star represents the Chinese Communist Party, and the four small stars around represents different social classes. Each little star should have one angel pointing to the big star as to show their loyalty. And the red colour, as for all communist parties in the world, symbolizes the violent and bloody revolution. Therefore, briefly, we can say that this Five-star Red Flag is a symbol for the One-Party dictatorship in China, a symbol to show how the Communist Party took the power via violence and bloody measures. It is a symbol for evil!

So, when I see thousands of Chinese people still wave this flag, and felt touched to tear when they listened to the girl to sing ”Praising My Motherland”, and they have no idea with what kind of evil flag they are identifying their national identity, and have no consciounsness that they have been ”brain-washed” or politically castrated already from their childhoon, I am really shocked. It reminds me of the fanatical scene during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s in China that millions of the so-called Red Guards waving the Mao’s Little Red Books. It also reminds me of the fanatical scene in Nazi’s Germany in the 1930s that thousands of young Nazis waving their 卐 flags. It is really a typicla scene to show how dictators can mobilize the naive people with their symbols!

Who can imagine today that a 卐 flag will be raised when a German sportsman gets an Olympic medal, or an old Soviet Union’s Red Star Flag will be raised when a Russian athlete wins any international game? Even in Europé which is famous for freedom of expression, to show a 卐 flag is regarded as criminal in many countries and will be legally punished.

I am sure that one day, soon or later, the dictatorship in China will collaps, as all dictatorships in the world did. The Five-star Red Flag as a symbol for One-Party dictatorship and violent and bloody revolution will be abolished by Chinese people then, just like what happened in Nazi or Soviet Union. These states all had held their Olympic Games, and all had a powerful and prosperous period, and had had their people to wave their flags, but they could not avoid their no good end.

Therefore, I really want to tell my fellow countrymen and women, if you do love our Motherland, and identify yourself with real Chinese national identity, and you do not want to have your future children feeling shamed, stop watving this Five-star Red Flag!