The Five-star Red Flag on the Moon

⭐🔴 Let's learn more about the Chinese flag!

Word of the week: 五星红旗 (Wǔxīng hóngqí)

Space gained some new stars earlier this month, displayed on a red background.

For the first time, China planted its flag, popularly known as the Five-star Red Flag (五星红旗 - Wǔxīng Hóngqí), on the far side of the moon! This moment surely made its citizens proud.

Let’s explore the vocabulary that this story can teach us, and then delve into the meaning behind the Chinese flag.

航天局公布了嫦娥六号在月球表面的国旗展示影像，五星红旗再次闪耀月球。这是中国首次在月球背面独立动态展示国旗。嫦娥三号、四号、五号、六号任务中，五星红旗和月球都有同框瞬间。

• 航天局 (hángtiān jú) - Space Agency

• 嫦娥 (Cháng'é) - Chinese pacecraft mission, name after Chang'e, the Chinese moon goddess

• 闪耀 (shǎnyào) - To shine

• 同框 (tóng kuāng) - In the same frame

• 瞬间 (shùnjiān) - Moment

The space agency released images of the Chang'e-6 displaying the national flag on the surface of the moon, with the five-star red flag once again shining on the lunar surface. This marks China's first independent dynamic display of the national flag on the far side of the moon. During the Chang'e-3, Chang'e-4, Chang'e-5, and Chang'e-6 missions, there have been moments where the five-star red flag and the moon appeared together in the same frame.

More About the Chinese Flag

The Chinese flag is well-known and easily recognizable around the world, but do you know the meaning behind it? Yes, it's all about communism ☭.

中华人民共和国国旗的红色象征革命。

• 象征 (xiàngzhēng) - Symbol; to symbolize

• 革命 (gémìng) - Revolution

The red color of the national flag of the People's Republic of China symbolizes the revolution.

旗上的五颗五角星及其相互关系象征共产党领导下的革命人民大团结。

• 相互关系 (xiānghù guānxì) - Mutual relationship

• 共产党 (Gòngchǎndǎng) - Communist Party

• 领导 (lǐngdǎo) - Leadership

• 团结 (tuánjié) - Unity

The five stars on the flag and their relationship symbolize the great unity of the revolutionary people under the leadership of the Communist Party.

大五角星象征着中国共产党，四颗小五角星象征着工人阶级、农民阶级、城市小资产阶级和民族资产阶级。

• 工人阶级 (gōngrén jiējí) - Working class

• 农民阶级 (nóngmín jiējí) - Peasant class

• 城市小资产阶级 (chéngshì xiǎo zīchǎn jiējí) - Urban petite bourgeoisie

• 民族资产阶级 (mínzú zīchǎn jiējí) - National bourgeoisie

The large star represents the Communist Party of China, while the four smaller stars represent the working class, peasant class, urban petite bourgeoisie, and national bourgeoisie.

四颗小五角星各有一尖正对着大星的中心点，这是表示围绕着一个中心而团结。

• 围绕 (wéirào) - Centered around

Each of the four smaller stars points towards the center of the large star, symbolizing unity around a central point.

Here you go! Now, the next time you see the Chinese flag, you’ll be able to show off all your knowledge about it, and in Mandarin Chinese!

Antoine & Dorota