Which independent Taiwan flag do you like best?
0 voters
Which of these Taiwan Independence / Republic of Taiwan flags do you think looks best?
Flag of the ‘new flag new anthem’ campaign
Taiwan Independence flag
Taiwan Independence Party flag
World Taiwanese Congress flag
World United Formosans for Independence flag
Brian
Vexillologically speaking, a flag should avoid placing “colors” against “metals” (i.e. “silver,” or white, and gold). Flags 3 and 4 violate this principle, to no clear advantage.
Flags should be reversible, so that one can silk-screen it rather than having to print the damned thing twice and sew it together. This means no writing, and no maps. Flags 3 - 6 violate this principle.
Flag number 2 is technically okay, but looks like it was designed by a color-blind elf. The central image would not symbolize much of anything for the vast majority of viewers, unless they confused it with the Ashokan pillar design (or is it Gandhi’s spinning wheel?) on India’s flag.
I have to say that with one exception, these flags are quite simply uninspired.
Furthermore, since several of the flags are already in use by certain political organizations, this discourages their adaptation for use as a national flag. (Yes, I know the KMT didn’t follow that principle particularly closely.) This means, for example, that the DPP flag would make in inappropriate national flag, since it could not unite the people beneath it.
Now the exception: Flag number 1, the Yellow Tiger Flag, is vexillologically as well as aesthetically beautiful. It features a bold central image which no other country uses (the current one looks too much like Burma’s), and which by happy coincidence would serve well as a symbol of Taiwan (one of the Asian “tigers”). I wish somebody would print these and sell them at rallies. I’d buy a bunch!
One problem is that it might appeal more to independence advocates than to pan-blue types, if that is a concern. Perhaps its promoters could remind everyone that its creators were anti-Japanese Ching loyalists.
Some temples have an image of a baby and mother tiger together. Perhaps that would be a suitable “correction” in the event that Taiwan becomes a Special Administrative Region! Placed in a blue jack, replacing the KMT sun? But the Chinese would probably prefer a blue-and-white plum blossom on a red field, on analogy with Hong Kong.
I also vote for the 1895 Republic of Taiwan flag. It stakes a claim that Taiwan originally was ceded by the back-then legitimate ruler of China to a country (Imperial Japan) who now longer has a legal claim to it.
Plus it looks nicer.
Some folks might think that the flag with the tiger might be too ethnic Chinese and thus not emphasizing Taiwan-ness enough (thus the sillouette of Taiwan on a lot of pro-ind. groups’ flags), but in reality most Taiwanese folks here are ethnic Chinese (excluding the aborigines) so people with this line of thinking isn’t really in tune with facts.
Damn these are some butt-ugly flags. The Jianguodang one looks like a road sign, and the rest straight out of a 70’s graphic-arts magazine article entitled “decorating with leftovers”. I’ve seen color blindness tests that are better looking. The tiger one’s not glaringly bad, just looks like a children’s book illustration.
I think I’ll stick with the flag we have now.
How about a bulls eye? Standard red, white, and blue.[/img]
Um… what about an aboriginal-themed flag? They were the original culture on the island, yes? Wouldn’t some aboriginal designs be the most original and unique thing that Taiwan could feature on its flag? It would be reversible, too…
That would be like the U.S. or Australia having an aboriginal flag.
…hold on, that’s not such a bad idea, actually now that I think about it.
if they look bad now, how are they going to look all shot full of holes? I vote for the first one too, in addition to by far having the most character and being the best looking, it’s the smallest target!
None of the choices is very inspiring, but all are better than the white flag that certain sections of this society would like to see raised.
I vote ‘none of the above’.
Out of the ones listed, I vote for the first one. However, maybe it should be modernized a bit for the 21st century.
Though, I do have a (perhaps ignorant) question. What is wrong with the current one they have? Can someone give me some background? I am assuming from what one poster said that it is linked to the KMT. Is that correct?
Thanks in advance.
QM, the current flag is the flag of the Republic of China and also the flag of the KMT.
My question is what would/could be a good flag for and Inependent Republic of Taiwan.
Also I’d like a flag I can buy from the guanxi shop for Taiwan, but not the ROC flag.
These are all the flags I could find.
Brian
[quote=“Bu Lai En”]QM, the current flag is the flag of the Republic of China and also the flag of the KMT.
[/quote]
Not quite. The KMT flag is a blue banner with the white “sun” in the center that appears in the corner of the red ROC flag. Isn’t it?
Yeah, you’re right. I think this is the current KMT flag:
And this is the ROC flag:
But looking at this site flags-by-swi.com/fotw/flags/cn-rpblc.html it seems quite complicated.
brian
I am a bit confused. Isn’t it a bit premature to be picking a flag when the democratically elected government on Taiwan won’t even write a declaration of independence or a constitution much less attempt to ratify such documents?
Perhaps an ostrich with its head buried in the ground would be a better representation than the tiger.
[quote]I am a bit confused. Isn’t it a bit premature to be picking a flag when the democratically elected government on Taiwan won’t even write a declaration of independence or a constitution much less attempt to ratify such documents?
Perhaps an ostrich with its head buried in the ground would be a better representation than the tiger.[/quote]
Well my question was just which one looks nicest, and my motive because I want one in my profile thingy.
brian
You hit the nail on the head EOD
Some people would answer that by saying Taiwan doesn’t need to declare independence because it already is: there is a constitution (although outdated as it still states that Mongolia is part of its jurisdiction, and of course Mainland China), separate government and its own armed forces. Only difference is that it doesn’t have a seat in the UN, and other countries are afraid to say it out loud due to possible repercussions from China.
What’s wrong with the current flag? Let’s see now…
(1) A good portion of the population here dislikes it, because it has become linked in their eyes to a political position which they do not support. (That there is such a thing as “the Republic of China” which was founded by the KMT, and continues on Taiwan, and that they should see this as a good thing.) Regardless of what you think of all this, the flag shouldn’t alienate a substantial portion of the population.
(2) It looks too much like the flag of Burma (Myanmar).
(3) It doesn’t make use of local cultural themes.
(4) Color touches color. (A vexillological misdemeanor, not a felony, to be sure.)
One more point about maps and writing. Flags, like heraldry, work best when they use visual symbols. It’s just a different kind of language. The flag of Canada, for example, is meant to represent the two coasts (never mind the arctic) but they wisely refrained from simply drawing an outline of Canada, or writing the word “Canada” on a piece of cloth.
Someone asked why Australia doesn’t use an aboriginal-themed flag. Well, the aborigines do have a flag (featuring Ayer’s Rock), variations of which have been proposed for a new national flag. Others complain that it is bad practice to single out one ethnic group for such special favor–that the flag ought to represent all the people. Most design proposals retain the Southern Cross. My favorite is the one with a silhouetted kangaroo–the so-called “Kangaroo Jack”!
The 1st one is the only one that has any asthetic value, but still looks deformed, and what’s with the clouds ? Look at the Welsh flag for how to put a dragon on a flag. But at least it’s more original than using a map of Taiwan on the flag which 3 of them do. Number 4 is the flag of a political party, which I thought we’re trying to get away from now ? And 2 of them contain writing, which I am not sure about on an international image.
Sorry, but they are all pretty ugly.
But what image could Taiwan use ? A betel nut ? A blue truck ? A scooter ?