National Flag, Anthem and FlowerNational Flag, Anthem and FlowerNational Flag
The 12 points of the white sun represent the 12 two-hour periods into which Chinese people divide each day. This symbolizes unceasing progress. Blue connotes brightness, purity and freedom, red indicates fraternity, while white signifies honesty and equality. National Flower
National Anthem The words of the ROC national anthem are drawn from a speech made by Sun Yat-sen at the opening ceremony of the Whampoa Military Academy on June 16, 1924. The exhortation served as a Kuomintang (KMT) party song before it was combined with music written by Cheng Mao-yun to become the national anthem. The anthem expounds the "Three Principles of The People" - nationalism, democracy and people's welfare, meaning in essence "of the people, by the people, for the people." This philosophy was devised by Sun Yat-sen and has been studied by generations of ROC students. The anthem also calls upon the Chinese people to bravely and ceaselessly strive for the betterment of the nation. The National Anthem (The Rendered Edition) The National Anthem (The Vocal Edition) The National Flag Anthem (The Rendered Edition) The National Flag Anthem (The Vocal Edition)  |
The ROC national flag resembles a white sun in a blue sky against a crimson background. The 12 points of the white sun in the emblem represent the 12 two-hour periods of the day, symbolizing unceasing progress. On one level, the three colors of blue, white, and crimson stand for the Three Principles of the People: nationalism, democracy, and social well-being. On another level, the colors embody qualities that evoke other concepts enumerated in the Three Principles: blue signifies brightness, purity, freedom, and thus a government that is of the people; white stands for honesty, selflessness, equality, and thus a government that is by the people; and crimson exemplifies sacrifice, bloodshed, brotherly love, and thus a government that is for the people. 
The plum blossom (prunus mei) was declared the ROC's national flower on July 21, 1964. The blossom is a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, has three stamens symbolizing Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles, and five petals, which represent the five branches of the ROC government.
