The national flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam consists of a rectangle of red cloth with a five-pointed golden star in the middle; the ratio of the width of the flag to its length is two-thirds.

The flag first appeared during the Nam Ky uprising against the French colonialists on November 23, 1940. Its creator was Nguyen Huu Tien, who was born on March 5, 1901 in Ha Nam province and died on August 28, 1941. His inspiration for creating the national flag is clearly is clearly depicted in his poem:

Oh people have red blood and yellow skin

Please struggle under the sacred national flag

Background flag is red for the country

Golden star is fresh for the race’s skin

Promptly stand up, the country’s soul calls us

Dear intellectuals, farmers, workers, traders and soldiers

Stick together as five-pointed golden star

(Unofficial translation)

Each nation has its own national flag. Vietnam is an independent and united nation with territorial integrity. Vietnam’s national flag is a symbol of the nation’s soul, people’s heart and solidarity of the great community of ethnic groups. It is also the country’s sacred symbol, reflecting the revolutionary enthusiasm and brave sacrifices of Vietnamese people in struggles against invaders. The flag is deeply engrained in each Vietnamese person, and recognized and respected by the international community.

The five-pointed golden star flag is a symbol of the unification, independence, self-control and peace of Vietnamese nation. This was affirmed by President Ho Chi Minh and has been reiterated over the past 50 years: The Vietnamese country is one, Vietnamese nation is one. River can be dry. Mountains can wear flat. But this truth will never change.

The history and significance of the Vietnamfive-pointed golden star flag is associated with years of steadfast and undaunted struggles and bravery sacrifices of Vietnamese people to drive invaders off the motherland, to seize power, unite the country, bring Vietnamese revolution to overcome difficulties to have peaceful, comfortable and happy life like it is now. In the 1930, the Communist Party of Vietnam was established and led the revolution. At first, five-pointed golden star with a hammer and sickle flag appeared during struggles.

In 1940, the Regional Party Committee of the Indochinese Party in southern Vietnamdecided to rise up, and implemented the last wishes of Tran Phu, the first Party General Secretary, to have a five-pointed golden star flage become the uprising’s flag. It was hoped that after defeating the French colonialists, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Vietnam’s national flag would be the red flag with five-pointed golden star.

In May, 1941, in Khui Namhamlet, the northeastern mountainous provinceof Cao Bang, leader Ho Chi Minh presided over the 8^th plenum of the Party Central Committee and decided to establish the Viet Nam doc lap dong minh (League for Vietnamese Independence). The first paragraph of theViet Minh programme stated that after driving off the French and Japanese empires, the People’s Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam will be set up and adopt a five-pointed star flag for the national one. This was the first official document to declare the National Flag of Vietnam as the red flag with the five-pointed golden star.

On August 16, 1945, the National Congress was held in Tan Trao commune, the northern mountainous province of Tuyen Quang. During the congress, participants decided to keep the flag.

The August revolution was successful in 1945. In 1946, the first tenure of the National Assembly of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam wrote in the constitution: “The national flag of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam is rectangular in shape, its width being equal to two-thirds of its length; in the middle of a red background is a five-pointed gold star.”

After April 30, 1975, southern Vietnam was completely liberated. From June 24 to July 3, 1976, a meeting of the National Assembly of Vietnam was held in Hanoiand approved important resolutions, including recognizing the national flag of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was as the flag with the five-pointed golden star in the middle.

The red colour is symbol for revolutionary enthusiasm, colour of fighting and victory. The golden colour symbolizes the bright of Vietnamese nation’s soul. The five-pointed star symbolizes the strength of solidarity of all compatriots in the struggle for national liberation and independence.

Vietnam’s national flag is hung in all government offices, schools, Vietnamese embassies in foreign countries.

Vietnam’s national flag is also raised together with national flags of foreign countries when Vietnamese senior delegations pay working visits to these countries. The red flag with a five-pointed golden star also flies from the roof of every Vietnamese family during festivals and tet.