In Vietnamese culture, five-colour flags (Vietnamese: cờ ngũ sắc, Chữ Hán: 旗五色) or five elements flags (cờ ngũ hành, Chữ Hán: 旗五行) are traditionally flown during festivals and religious ceremonies. A five-colour flag consists of five concentric squares in red, green, yellow, and blue, representing the five elements (ngũ hành, Chữ Hán: 五行). The order of colours varies. The outermost square has three ragged edges, similar to fringing. The centre of the flag is sometimes defaced to commemorate a specific concept or personality. Historically, some imperial and military ensigns followed a similar pattern.
The family flag (Cờ họ tộc) is considered one of the most sacred symbols of a family, symbolising the spirit, will, affection and strength of the family's unity.[5] Family flags are typically hung in front of or inside of space near roads, at temples, family mausoleums, and on the occasions of death, an anniversary, and the Tết Nguyên Đán holiday.[5] Most of the family flags are designed based on the structural principles of the traditional five-colour flag, with the square in the same red colour, and in its centre the family name (surname) is typically written in Chinese script in the colour yellow.[5] The most common style of writing the family name is in Khải thư, but in cases when the character is featured on both sides of the flag the obverse side typically features Khải thư while the reverse side typically features Chữ Triện.[5] Not all family flags maintain the five-colour scheme of traditional flags as some only feature 4 colours.[5]
The Buddhist Flag in Vietnam is composed of six vertical strips of equal width. The first five, from left to right, are coloured blue, yellow, red, white, and pink or light orange. The sixth strip is composed of five horizontal strips of equal width, with the same colours and in the same order, from bottom to top. To the Buddhist, each colour signifies a different virtue; but there is no consensus about which colour denotes which virtue.[c][9]
Followers of Hòa Hảo denomination of Buddhism use a plain brown (maroon) flag. The colour of which is of particular importance to the community, because the altars are made by placing a similar brown cloth on the wall to mark the point faced during the prayers as well as the habits of the Hòa Hảo clergy being also brown in colour.[10] In Vietnam, the Hòa Hảo religious flag is usually accompanied with the national Vietnamese flag. Among the Vietnamese diaspora, Hòa Hảo religious flag is typically used together with the pre-1975 flag of South Vietnam and the flag of the United States.[10]
Image
Type of flag
Descriptions
The flag of the Hòa Hảo religion, introduced in 1939.[10][7]
Rectangular in shape and solid maroon in colour inasmuch as the Hòa Hảo believe that maroon is the combination of all colours and thus signifies unity of all people, regardless of race, skin colour, or language.[11]
The ground is white, representing peace, purity and innocence. In the upper corner is a blue square, the colour of the unclouded sky, emblematic of heaven, the home of the Christian; also a symbol of faith and trust. in the center of the blue is the cross, the ensign and chosen symbol of Christianity: the cross is red, typical of Christ's blood.[14][15]
The Roman Catholic Church in Vietnam uses yellow-white horizontal bicolour, the same design is also used by the Roman Catholic Church in Poland, as well as in a number other countries.
The Mobile Units for the Defense of Christians ("Các đơn vị lưu động bảo vệ giáo dân Thiên Chúa giáo /các họ đạo"), centered in Bến Tre, were active from 1947 to 1953.[16]
At mosques special Islamic flags are flown alongside the national Vietnamese flag.[17] These Muslim flags are typically green in colour with a white crescent and star and is usually hoisted.[17] Generally the shape of charges is the same as the flags that used to decorate the walls of the mosques and they also adorn the peaks of mosque's domes.[17] While generally speaking their colours tend to be green, the star sometimes depicted as gold, which Tomislav Todorović claims is "undoubtedly borrowed from the national [Vietnamese] flag".[17]
A vertical tricolour with the colours yellow-blue-red. The top (yellow) field contains the blue Chữ HánĐại Đạo Tam Kỳ Phổ Độ (大道三期普度, "The Great Faith [for the] Third Universal Redemption") written from right-to-left. The middle (blue) field contains the Eye of Providence, under the Divine Eye is the religious emblem which also represents the essence of the three religions; the bowl of charity for Buddhist compassion and asceticism, the feather duster for Daoist purification; the Spring and Autumn Annals for Confucianist virtue and love.[20]
^Unofficial flag that was at times used by the armed forces of South Vietnam.
^The colour green might have at times have been replaced with the colour blue, for the Far Eastern languages originally made no distinction between these colours. Blue flags may have been changed by age and/or weather making them violet.
^The five colours of the Vietnamese Buddhist flag signify the five virtues which Buddhists believe vital. While there are differences of opinion as to which colour might represent a particular virtue, the virtues themselves are ideals held before the adherents by the Sangha. These virtues are developed as the adherent follows the Eightfold Middle Path and subdues the 108 desires or cravings which stand between man and Nirvana.
^ ab"Resolution". Federal Council Bulletin. 25–27. Religious Publicity Service of the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. 1942.
^Kurian, George Thomas; Lamport, Mark A. (10 November 2016). Encyclopedia of Christianity in the United States. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. p. 1359. ISBN9781442244320. In Protestant churches, the national flag was frequently displayed along with the "Christian Flag" (white field, red Latin cross on a blue canton), which had been created and popularized in American Methodist circles and adopted by the Federal Council of Churches in 1942. Often the staff would feature an eagle final and a cross final, respectively.
^"Christian Flag". The Christian Advocate. 84. New York: T. Carlton & J. Porter. 7 January 1909. Within recent years (1897) a flag has been designed which shall stand as an emblem; (Jesse L. Jones-McKay) which all Christian nations and various denominations may rally in allegiance and devotion. This banner is called the Christian flag. It was originated by Charles C. Overton of Brooklyn, N.Y., whose first thought of it came to him while addressing a Sunday school at a rally day service. The flag is most symbolic. The ground is white, representing peace, purity and innocence. In the upper corner is a blue square, the color of the unclouded sky, emblematic of heave, the home of the Christian; also a symbol of faith and trust. in the center of the blue is the cross, the ensign and chosen symbol of Christianity: the cross is red, typical of Christ's blood. The use of the national flag in Christian churches has become almost universal throughout the world.
^"Christian Flag". The Christian Advocate. 84. New York: T. Carlton & J. Porter. 7 January 1909. Mr. Overton has dedicated his flag to the Christian world, refusing to copyright or patent it. It stands for no creed or denomination, but for Christianity. Every sect of Christ's followers can indorse this flag and it is equally appropriate for all nations. The hymn written by Fanny Crosby is also dedicated to the free use and followers of Christ the world over.
^Ned Smith, Esteban Rivera, and Rob Raeside (27 August 2011). "Cao Dai". Flags of the World (FOTW) & CRW Flags. Retrieved 12 September 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
_Corrected_Empire_of_Vietnam_flag.png)
_Reconstruction_02.svg)
_Reconstruction_03.svg)
_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_family_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
_Vietnamese_Five_Colours_Flag.svg)
.png){kind=small}
_01.png)
_-_Tomislav_Todorovi%C4%87_(22_November_2015).gif)
.svg)
.svg)
.png)
_01.gif)
.svg){kind=small}
_02.gif)
_03.gif)
_04.gif)
