The yellow and red flag that refuses to disappear

Countries & Cities · Published 12 October 2026 · Updated 25 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: It ceased to be a national symbol on 30 April 1975, yet it remains a powerful emblem for millions. From Australian city councils to American state resolutions, the flag of South Vietnam continues to stir intense political debate and deep cultural identity across the global diaspora.

The flag's official history began on 2 June 1948, when Brigadier General Nguyễn Văn Xuân signed a decree for the Provisional Central Government of Vietnam. The design—a yellow field with three horizontal red stripes—was first raised on 5 June 1948 near Hạ Long Bay. While some claim the design originated during the reign of Emperor Thành Thái in 1890, researchers like Professor Phạm Quang Tuấn have found no evidence for this, tracing the specific three-stripe claim back to a 2004 article by Nguyễn Đình Sài.

The symbolism is layered with tradition. Some interpret the three red bands as representing the North, Central, and South regions of Vietnam. Others link the design to the 'Eight Trigrams' (Bát Quái); specifically, the 'Quẻ Càn' represents heaven, the nation, and the people's power. This follows a lineage of yellow flags used by the Nguyễn court, including a version used by Emperor Khải Định featuring a single red band.

Today, the flag's status is highly contested. In Vietnam, its display is effectively criminalized as an act of opposition to the state. However, for the Vietnamese diaspora, it serves as the 'Vietnamese Heritage and Freedom Flag.' Since 2002, numerous American states—including Texas, California, and Florida—have recognized it as a symbol of their Vietnamese American communities. The tension remains visible in global events, from protests at universities in Texas and Arizona to broadcasting delays during FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Melbourne.

The struggle for digital recognition continues. As of 2023, a petition to include the flag as a Unicode emoji had gathered over 17,000 signatures, following the fact that the current ISO code for Vietnam (VN) is held by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

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