macau flag

The Macau Flag - Design and History

The Macau flag is light green with a lotus flower above the stylized Nobre Governador Carvalho Bridge and water in white, beneath an arc of five gold, five-pointed stars: one large in center of arc and four smaller.

The lotus was chosen as Macau's floral emblem. The Nobre Governador Carvalho Bridge is a bridge linking the Macau Peninsula and the island of Taipa. The bridge has been one of the most recognisable landmarks for the territory.

The water beneath the lotus and the bridge symbolise Macau's position as a port and its role played in the territory. The five five-point stars echo the design of that on the flag of the People's Republic of China, symbolising the relationship Macau has with its sovereign country.

Old Macau flag of the Government

Prior to the handover of Macau to the People's Republic of China by the Portuguese in 1999, Macau as a colony used only the Portuguese flag officially.

There was a Macau flag for the local government, with designs of a dragon and a Portuguese-style coat-of-arms; but it is not used to represent Macau as a colony, but the Concelho of Macau (the other being the Conselho das Ilhas).

A Macau flag for the colony based on a similar design was proposed in 1967 but was never adopted. This design can be seen in artworks symbolizing colonial Portugal.

Right Image: A piece of artwork for the Portuguese Overseas Bank (Banco Emissor no Ultramar) in Lisbon. The dragon design representing Macau can be seen on the upper-right corner.

Another Macau flag for the city (one of the two cities in the colony), with a Portuguese-style coat-of-arms and two angels as heraldic supporters. Reportedly, this was the flag used at the 1999 handover ceremony.

Macau Flag on the Handover to China

On March 8, 1998, the Xinhua news agency (China) ran a feature on the designer of the Macao flag.

The flag selected to represent Macao after its re-integration into China was designed by Xiao Hong, a professor of arts and crafts at the Henan University. Xiao's entry was just one of over 1,000 considered for the new design. Xiao designed the flag after reading a 600-word tourist guide on Macao.

The design was further improved before being approved in 1993. It was not until three years after the flag was adopted that he first visited Macao.

A deputy in the Henan 163-member delegation to the ninth National People's Congress (NPC), he became one of the more popular members when the lawmakers learned of his role designing the flag.

From the Flags of the World: Macao

Article 10 Apart from displaying the national flag and national emblem of the People's Republic of China, the Macao Special Administrative Region may also use a regional flag and regional emblem.

The regional flag of the Macao Special Administrative Region is a green flag with five stars, lotus flower, bridge and sea water.

The regional emblem of the Macao Special Administrative Region is composed of five stars, lotus flower, bridge and sea water encircled by the words "Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China" in Chinese and "MACAO" in Portuguese.

From the Basic Law of Macau

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