Vietnam’s flag is a red field bearing a large gold five‑pointed star at the center. First flown by the Viet Minh in 1945 and adopted nationally upon reunification in 1976, it symbolizes revolution (red) and the unity of workers, peasants, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers (gold star). Law fixes a 2:3 ratio, star geometry, and color standards; protocol governs precedence and half‑masting. Earlier dynastic and South Vietnamese flags were superseded after reunification.
The national flag of Vietnam—red with a centered gold five‑pointed star—condenses the country’s mid‑20th‑century revolutionary trajectory and the socialist state’s self‑understanding into a stark, high‑contrast emblem.
Dynastic and Colonial Precedents Prior to the 20th century, Vietnamese courts employed imperial banners, notably the yellow standards of the Nguyen dynasty. Under French colonial rule, the tricolor and Indochinese emblems predominated across administration and maritime contexts. These flags encoded imperial authority rather than popular nationhood.
Revolutionary Emergence (1945) As Japanese occupation collapsed in 1945, revolutionary forces sought a symbol that would be distinctive, legible, and ideologically clear. A red field, recalling sacrifice and revolution, with a single gold star signifying unity of the people under leadership, was adopted by the Viet Minh during the August Revolution. On 2 September 1945, when Ho Chi Minh proclaimed the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Hanoi, this banner was raised as the emblem of the new state.
Division and Competing Banners From the late 1940s through 1975, the Vietnamese lived under competing flags. The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North) used the red‑gold star flag, while the Republic of Vietnam (South) flew a yellow field with three horizontal red stripes. These flags became markers of opposed political orders and international alignments during decades of conflict.
Reunification and National Adoption (1976) After the end of major hostilities and the political consolidation that followed, the National Assembly in 1976 declared the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and confirmed the red flag with gold star as the national flag. Proportions were specified at 2:3; the construction of the star—size and orientation—was standardized for official production. Color references for red and gold were formalized to ensure consistency.
Symbolism The red field stands for revolution, solidarity, and the blood shed for national liberation and reunification. The gold star represents the people’s unity, often explicated as workers, peasants, intellectuals, traders, and soldiers, gathered into a single coordinating point under socialist leadership. The geometry—a single, centered star—creates a focal point that communicates unity at a glance.
Protocol
and Legal Framework Flag laws and decrees govern respectful handling, precedence at state events, and half‑masting for mourning. The banner appears at all government buildings, schools, diplomatic missions, and on national holidays such as National Day (2 September) and Reunification Day (30 April). Worn flags are retired respectfully; misuse or desecration is penalized.
Continuity
and Public Life Since reunification, the design has remained unchanged. In the diaspora, alternative symbolism persists, but within Vietnam the red‑gold star defines the state’s identity domestically and internationally—at sporting events, diplomatic ceremonies, and civic rituals. Its spare formal language and legal standardization have strengthened recognition and cohesion around a shared national emblem.