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The Meaning of Colors on Asian Flags

Color refers to the appearance of a thing apart from size and shape when light

strikes it. The color we see is the color of the light reflected by the object since light

consists of many colors. One of the first things that are taught to children is colors. We

may say that it is one of the fundamentals in learning. Everything we see has colors

associated with it. Most things catch attention easily because of its color. It adds aesthetic

appeal to anything applied with it. Just like in every nation’s flag, different colors are

used, say, to add appeal to their country since it is one of the important symbolisms of

their country. But beyond its beauty, colors are assigned with meanings.1 Colors as

representations and symbols on flags convey important detail on a country’s culture and

the meaning may as well differ depending on the cultures to be considered.

Over the years, colors have come to mean many things to different cultures. Almost

every item, every word, every idea hides a certain symbolism – so with colors. The

meaning may vary depending on the colors that are involved or that are combined. It also

differs according to someone’s perception or culture. Not everyone have the same belief

or idea. Thus, color is used to represent their feelings, culture, and so with their

personality.2

In addition, like arranging notes or sounds to form music, colors when arranged in

an orderly manner forms harmony and gives rise to symbols of it.3 Most of the time,

arrangement of things are important. An arrangement of, for example, three colors may

1 Evans, Ralph M, An Introduction to Color, p.25

2 Maverz, Aloys John, A Dictionary of Color, p. 62

3 Jacobson, Egbert, Basic Color, an interpretation of the Oswald Color System, p.8

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mean differently to a different arrangement with same set of colors. There are countries

that make use of same group of colors in their national flag like United States of

America, France, Puerto Rico, etc. all of which employ red, white and blue. Same group

of colors is used but with different arrangement and design so as to give rise to a different

symbol and interpretation. Taking the Philippine flag as an example, it may be displayed

in different ways depending on the country’s state. Placing a color above the other may

mean superiority and so with the meaning associated with it.

A color may mean so many things but, to some, certain meanings or ideas are

already associated when a particular color is given. Some colors are assigned with

meanings nowadays, that is, majority thinks the same way towards that color. To fully

understand what the color on our flags suggest, looking on the conventional meaning of

colors may help.

Black suggests elegance, sophistication, formality, power, strength, illegality,

depression, morbidity and night. On the other hand, white is a sign of cleanliness, purity,

newness, virginity, peace, innocence, simplicity, sterility and snow. A simple white flag

represents surrender. Oftentimes, blue represents freedom, vigilance, perseverance,

justice, prosperity, peace, and patriotism. Conventionally, blue signifies peace,

professionalism, loyalty, reliability, honor, melancholia, boredom, coldness, winter,

depth, stability, honor and trust. Green can symbolize the Earth, agriculture, fertility, and

the Muslim religion. Most had the same idea of green as being a symbol to Earth, nature,

jungle and the like. It is also taken to be a symbol for durability, reliability,

environmental, luxurious, optimism, well-being, nature, calmness, relaxation, spring,

safety, honesty, harmony and freshness. Red often represents courage, revolution,

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hardiness, blood, and valor. It is as well described as a symbol of warmth, love, anger,

danger, boldness, excitement, speed, strength, determination, desire and courage. Yellow

is being described as attention-grabbing or a sign of comfort, liveliness, cowardliness,

hunger, optimism, summer, intellect, happiness and energy. It often represents the sun,

wealth, and justice. 4

In some places, considering their culture, colors may or may not have the same

significance as to what have been assigned to them conventionally. In North America,

black symbolizes luxury. It is taken seriously as a color of mourning and a color of

respect and dignity in Western Europe. In the Middle East, blue symbolizes glory in the

Qur’an and they consider red as a color of protection and good fortune. In Asia, green is

closely tied to jade, a stone of value and desirability, blue is associated with femininity

and yellow is associated to royalty and considered to be masculine. In South America, red

is used as a cheerful color with less negative associations than elsewhere in the world.5

Color, alone, is being used to symbolize something. What more when it has been

used, say, on national flags? The idea of flags was first used in battles to identify friend

or foe. Warriors needed to know where their leaders were and thus the idea of flags was

born.6

A flag is a piece of cloth with colors and designs that act as symbols or signals. The

first use of flag was actually to be an indicator in a battle whether one is an enemy or not.

It has been a good way to identify people covered in heavy armor. Flags have been used

as important signals on land as well as on sea. Ships started using flags at sea to signal

4 “The Meaning of Colors” from Changing Minds.org.www.changingminds.org

5 Karlsen, Kathleen, MA. “Colors Symbolism in Global Graphic Design” from Living Arts Originals Enrich Your Life with Symbols, www.livingartsoriginal.com,

6 Langton, Jane. The Fragile Flag. p.57

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each other whether they had an infectious or diseased crew aboard. Today, flags are still

used to let sailors know what weather conditions await at sea. Those flags are currently

called international code flags or signaling flags. It’s a set of flags of different colors,

shapes and markings that may be used singly or in combinations to portray different

meaning. The military also made use of flags to rally its troops. In military times,

capturing an enemy’s flag was considered an honorable seizure.

The most popular use of flags today is to identify the world’s countries. Flags are

used to represent a country, a state, an organization or a world. When we say world flags,

we’re talking about flags that mean something, that represent something. If it doesn’t

mean anything, the flag won’t fly. All flags that are in flight today represent something.

They all hold special meaning for someone about something. And as a symbol of a

country, the flag holds its people together under one common purpose. Flags are symbol

of unity and pride. 7

Nicole Smith said, “There is a wide range of interesting features on the flags of the

many nations on Earth. Whether it is a symbol with long-standing meaning for the

country, a combination of colors that each has a purpose or important mottos, the features

on all flags stand for something.”8

A flag may also portray the history of a certain country. It may tell about its

cultures, traditions and beliefs. There are often detailed stories behind the design and

construction of each flag. Those stories often become a local folklore or a part of the

history. It may incite serious controversy as well. Aside from being a symbol, flags

inform us about a matter. It may be about their history, their country, or even about

7 Smith, Whitney. Flags through the ages and across the world. p.268

8 Smith, Nicole. Flags of the World. p.89

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anything. There are things that had been considered in the construction of every flags.

The symbols they used – colors, shapes, words or phrases – would be of help to us to

learn or understand those things.

Flags employ the idea of color symbolisms. The colors we see on national flags

reveal something about the culture, beliefs or history of the country it is from. Different

countries have different cultures and it is safe to conclude that it is one of the reasons

why different countries have different flags – since a flag symbolizes a country’s culture

and beliefs. Understanding the symbolisms of color on flags would be as well as an

understanding on the culture of its country.

Countries near to each other or those that belong to one continent have their

cultures somewhat interconnected to each other. The difference in the denotation of

colors is not that significant in countries in close proximity to each other. But comparing

all flags around the globe, there are observable differences, say, between the flags of the

Asian countries and of the Western countries.

Taking culture into account, the West and Asia has significantly different cultures.

The Western people are more focused in their career. They have high standards about

things and are known with technological advancements – although Asians are known

inventors too. The Asians value their family much. They are more spiritual and have

many languages and traditions. Studying the flags of the countries belonging to those

continents, we can see the differences between them. Considering Asian countries –

Philippines, Japan, China, Thailand and India – opposed to the Western countries –

Finland, United States of America, Switzerland and Puerto Rico – let’s take a look on

their distinctions or similitude as large mass of land.

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The Philippine flag consists of a blue and red horizontal background with white

equilateral triangle on the hoist side having yellow eight-rayed sun at the center and three

five-pointed stars at the corners. Considering the colors, blue stands for unity and

aspirations of the Filipinos. It symbolizes their unison as a country in attaining their goals

as well as peace. The white triangular field represents purity as well as equality among

men. The red field symbolizes their willingness to shed blood to defend their country. 9

Their national flag is also a war ensign. The flag is commonly flown with the blue stripe

on top of red. But when the country is at war, it is upturned with the red field on top of

the other.10 The construction of the design of the flag is a result of the things that the

country had gone through. Philippines had been colonized by different countries.

Through their unanimity and fortitude to attain freedom, they fought for independence

and eventually acquired it.

Japanese flag, Hinomaru as what they call it, is noted worldwide for its simple yet

unique design. The flag consist of a white background with a big red circle exactly at the

center. The white field is a symbol of honesty and purity. The red circle is a

representative of the sun which has been an important emblem to Japan. 11 The sun

performed a vital role in the history of the country. It signifies the advancement of Japan

towards industrialization. The country had been known as “The Land of the Rising Sun”.

The Chinese flag background consists of their traditional color – red – with large

yellow star and four smaller stars off to the right side. Red is a symbol of revolution held

within the country. The large star stands for the Communist Party and the small star

9 Melchor, Merci. Bandila:the Story of the Philippine flag. p.38

10 Gagelonia, Pedro A. The Philippine National Flag. p.70

11 Carr, H Gresham. Flags of the World [Rev. & expanded]. p.206

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represents the four united classes – workers, peasants, rich and the capitalists. 12 One

point of the big star points right up the flag and of the four small ones each has a point

pointing towards the center of the big star. This shows that the Chinese Communist Party

is the force at the core of the leadership of the Chinese people of all ethnic groups who

unite closely as one. The total of five stars demonstrates the importance of the number

five in Chinese history and heritage. Their flag, in general, shows the structure of the

Chinese social order. It also reflects the importance of communism in their culture and

history.

The flag of Thailand is a collection of horizontal stripes in red, white and blue. Prior

to World War I, their flag had only red and white stripes. It was only during the war that

the new flag was adopted with the blue stripe added to it. There is only one blue stripe on

the center of the flag and is largest among the five. On the top and bottom of the blue

band are two identical bands of white. At the top and bottom of the flag, outside the

bands of white, are bands of red which are of the same size as the bands of white. Red

symbolizes blood of life; white is the purity of the Buddhist faith and blue is a

representative of the monarchy.13

The Indian flag represents the spiritual belief of their country. It is comprised of

three horizontal bands of color – saffron (orange), green and white – with blue wheel

called Dharma Chakra at the center. The saffron, or orange, symbolizes courage and

sacrifice.14 White symbolizes the light, the path of truth to guide their conduct. The green

12 Talocci, Mauro. Guide to the Flags of the World. p.75

13 Carr, H Gresham. Flags of the World [Rev. & expanded]. p.175

14 Znamierowski, Alfred. The world encyclopedia of flags: the definitive guide to international flags, banners, standards and ensigns. p.54

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stands for fertility or the soil, the relation to plant life, on which all other life depends.

The flag also signifies all religions in India. Saffron represents Sanatana Dharma or the

original name for Hinduism, white for Jainism (another religion established in India) and

Christianity, green for Islam and Dharma Chakra (the wheel at the center of the flag)

representing Buddhism. The colors are divided equally showing that all religions are

treated equally. No religion is treated inferior or superior above the other.15

Different countries or people have different approach in constructing their insignia.

Some take into consideration their beliefs, cultures and traditions as a country. Other

Asian countries consider their spiritual belief in their flags. They use the color which is

significant to the religion they are in to. For instance, the color green is used to symbolize

the Islam faith. They also include phrases or sentences that refers to what or who they

believe in. Their flag may as well project the various stages of their history.

Every color which makes a flag of a certain area symbolizes something relevant to

their culture. It is not that colors themselves have meaning but that is that we have

culturally assigned meanings to them.16

The significance of the Finish flag lies in the description of its geographic features.

Their ensign is a blue cross with a white background. White represents the snow and blue

represents the lakes of Finland.17 While some consider their history in the design of their

flag, they chose the natural features of their country for the flag to portray. It is the

15 Lindsay, Elizabeth Blakesley. “World Flag Database” from Academic Research Library, ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=860577981&sid=8&Fmt=3&clientId=51710&RQT=309&VName=PQD-ElizabethLindsay.flag

16 “The Meaning of Colors” from Changing Minds.org.www.changingminds.org

17 Burns, Edward McNall. Western civilizations:their history and their culture. p.30

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geographic features of a country that is, of course, first being seen. And it is also from

which their resources come from. This only shows how they value their natural resources.

The insignia of United States of America is one of the well-recognized of all the

national flags. It is because of the fact that USA is one of the most advanced or developed

country in the world and that USA, the country alone, is known globally. The flag consist

of red and blue stripes and white stars. It is commonly called as “Stars and Stripes”

depicting the appearance of the flag. Yet, not too many knows what it signifies,

especially the colors. The colors may suggest the manner, way of thinking, or attitude of

the Americans. The red, white and blue colors have distinct meanings. The red color

stands for blood, valor, enthusiasm and courage. The blue and white color stands for

justice, vigilance, perseverance and respect for God.18

Flags are usually large, rectangular banners. Switzerland has one of the only square

flags in the world. The banner is a simple design with red background and a white couped

cross in the center. In general, the flag represents freedom, honor and fidelity. 19 It

corresponds to the Swiss’ attitude as a nation with respect also to their history and

culture. The flag has been called the Swiss Cross. In the early days, Switzerland uses

different regional flags and the introduction of their national flag instead of the

widespread use of the cantonal flags symbolizes that Switzerland has found its national

identity.

The design of the Puerto Rican flag was inspired by the history of their country. It

consists of red, white and blue with five horizontal red and white strips and a white star

centered in a blue triangular field on the top corner of the hoist side. Red signifies the

18 Sedeen, Margaret. Star-spangled banner:our nation and its flag.p.97

19 Cunningham, Lawrence. Culture and values:a survey of the Western Humanities. p. 24

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bravery of its natives that shed blood to fight for their nation. White is symbolic of the

victory and peace of gaining independence. The blue field signifies the sky and coastal

waters.20

Some colors on flags are more prevalent than others. The most popular color used

on flags is red. Red has been the most popular color throughout the century. Although it

has declined from appearing on 81% of the flags surveyed in 1917 to 74% in 1999, it is

still the most popular color used on flags today. White also remains a popular color and is

found in 71% of all flags, slightly down from a high of 77% in 1917. Yellow has shown

an overall increase from 26% in 1917 to 43% currently, while the use of blue has

declined steadily from 67% at the beginning of the century to 50% today. The use of both

black and green has shown constant increases, green showing the most dramatic increase

from appearing on 16% of the flags in 1917 to 42% in 1999. The use of other colors

remains small, with orange being found on 5% of flags.21

The similarity on the appearance of flags is brought by the closeness in distance of

countries or because of similarities in religious beliefs. Most countries practicing the

Islamic religion have the color green in their flag to symbolize Islam. If not in the color

used, countries put words, phrases or symbols to state and represent their belief. The flag

of the Saudi Arabia has Arabic inscription stating the Islamic declaration of faith which is

“There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is the messenger of Allah”. Beliefs and

20 Lindsay, Elizabeth Blakesley. “World Flag Database” from Academic Research Library, ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=860577981&sid=8&Fmt=3&clientId=51710&RQT=309&VName=PQD-ElizabethLindsay.flag

21 Berry, Bruce. Colors of Flags. p.64

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distance between two countries are factors that may be considered in the similarity of the

designs of flags. Seldom is it that the similarities between flags are coincidental. 22

As we can see, colors evident on national flags are not placed there just to be a

design. It symbolizes something relevant to the culture and history of the nation. It is put

there to exhibit the identity of a nation. Colors may be given meaning individually.

Though, most of the flags have combination of colors. The groupings of colors on flags

have symbols to represent ideals or allegiance.23 The meaning of colors may vary if to be

combined with other colors. The arrangement of colors on flags may be influenced by the

historical background of a country. The use of red as a symbol of the nation at a state of

war is widely employed. Group of colors may be used to suggest the various stages of a

nation.

Their beliefs as well as their cultures are reflected in their flags. Many flags used

groupings of colors depending on what they believe in. Red, white and blue are often

colors that represent revolution and freedom, many of which are based on the French

tricolor. Most flags don’t only make use of colors. The flags that had been considered in

the study also used different symbols to represent their country. Majority have characters

that also play a role in expressing the culture of a country. Some adds phrases, clauses,

sentences, images or shapes to further articulate what their country is or who their people

are. Like the previously examined flag of Saudi Arabia, it used script to state their

religious belief. Although color is a good representation, having words and shapes in it is

for better understanding of their principle as a country.

22 Lumpkins, Charles L. “Flag:An American Biography” from Academic Research Library, ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=338148461&sid=8&Fmt=3&clientld=52170&RQT=297&Vname=PQD

23 “Symbolic Use of Colors in Flags” from Enchanted Learning. www.enchatedlearning.com.

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The idea or meaning of a color to Asian and Western people has similarities

and differences being influenced by their history. And their history plays a very important

role in establishing their culture. Through all of every color’s meaning, we must

remember that the meaning of a color is culturally dependent. The culture of a country

prescribes their interpretation for a color. The meaning varies because of different factors.

There are some conventional meanings for such colors, yet to understand deeper what a

country have, we must understand their culture as well as their idea of each color. For

instance, outside the context of flags, to Asians death is symbolized by white wherein it is

symbolized as black in Western Europe. Two opposite colors may mean the same thing if

two different cultures shall be considered. On the contrary, a color may have different

meaning if different cultures are to be considered. The color yellow means caution and

spontaneity in North America as opposed to the idea of Asians to yellow as a color of joy

happiness, high spirits and sunshine. Yet, somehow we may still find some intersection of

the different cultures like, both sees green as a color of nature or environment.

Analyzing and comparing the representation of each color, we could see

differences, as well as similarities, in different country’s culture. Other colors have

meanings that shift in various cultures. A color may have completely opposite meaning

with regards to different culture it is from. However, there are some colors that have

meanings which are generally accepted or are universal.24 Those are colors of which the

meaning doesn’t differ from one culture to another. It is when most people view that

color on the same manner. Outside the contexts of flags, some universal meaning of

24 Karlsen, Kathleen, MA. “Colors Symbolism in Global Graphic Design” from Living Arts Originals Enrich Your Life with Symbols, www.livingartsoriginal.com,

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colors is, for example, red as sign of anger or love, black as a sign of sorrow and white

for purity.

Every color has a unique characteristic that is enough reason for colors to be

an important representation of the emblem of a country. Colors are not just to give

pleasure to our eyes. It is used to mean something – to explain something.

According to Ralph Evans, “Color lends its charm, its personality, or its

ugliness to the form with which it is seen, but these characteristics are likely to vanish if

an attempt is made to view them by themselves.” 25

25 Evans, Ralph M. An Introduction to Color, p.1