# 18-Star Flag

> emblem of the Wuchang Uprising, then used by the army of the Republic of China (1913-1928)

**Wikidata**: [Q10904482](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q10904482)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/18-star-flag

## Summary
The 18-Star Flag, also known as the Iron Blood 18-Star Flag, is a historical national flag that served as the emblem of the Wuchang Uprising and was subsequently used by the army of the Republic of China from 1913 to 1928. It features a distinct design comprising a red field, a black nine-pointed star, and 18 gold disks. The flag was conceptualized in August 1907 and officially dissolved in 1928.

## Key Facts
- **Definition:** Emblem of the Wuchang Uprising; later the army flag of the Republic of China (1913–1928).
- **Alternative Names:** Flag of the army of the Republic of China, Iron Blood 18-Star Flag, 19-Star Flag, 鉄血十八星旗, 十九星旗, 鉄血十九星旗, 铁血十八星旗, 铁血旗, 铁血十八星, 철혈십팔성기, 십구성기, 철혈십구성기, and drapeau de l'armée de la République de Chine.
- **Instance of:** National flag (a subclass of "flag design" and "national symbol").
- **Jurisdiction:** Applies to the Republic of China.
- **Colors:** Red, black, and gold.
- **Depictions:** 
    - A red field.
    - A black nine-pointed star.
    - 18 gold disks.
- **Genres:** Solid flag, charged flag.
- **Inception Date:** August 1907.
- **Dissolved/Abolished Date:** 1928.
- **Google Knowledge Graph ID:** /g/155r19m7.
- **Wikipedia Presence:** Documented in 3 languages (Japanese, Korean, Chinese).
- **Image File:** [Chinese-army_Wuhan_flag_(1911-1928)_18_dots.svg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Chinese-army_Wuhan_flag_(1911-1928)_18_dots.svg)

## FAQs
**What does the 18-Star Flag look like?**
The flag features a solid red background featuring a black nine-pointed star accompanied by 18 gold disks. In flag terminology, this categorizes it as a "solid flag" and a "charged flag."

**When was the 18-Star Flag actively used?**
The design was inceptioned in August 1907. It is historically recognized for its role in the Wuchang Uprising and was formally utilized by the army of the Republic of China from 1913 until its dissolution in 1928.

**What is the jurisdictional relevance of the 18-Star Flag?**
The flag applies to the jurisdiction of the Republic of China, functioning as a national symbol that represented the nation and its army during the early 20th century.

## Why It Matters
The 18-Star Flag is a significant historical and cultural artifact representing a pivotal transitional era in Chinese history. As the emblem of the Wuchang Uprising, it symbolizes the revolutionary movement that led to the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty. Its subsequent adoption by the Republic of China army (1913–1928) highlights its role as a martial symbol of the early republican state. In the context of vexillology, it serves as a prime example of a highly symbolic "charged flag," utilizing distinct geometric shapes and colors to represent historical factions and ideologies before the standardization of modern national symbols.

## Notable For
- **Historical Catalyst:** Serving as the primary emblem of the Wuchang Uprising.
- **Early Republican Symbol:** Acting as the official army flag for the Republic of China during the early 20th century.
- **Distinct Vexillological Design:** Its unique visual combination of a red field, a black nine-pointed star, and exactly 18 gold disks.
- **Multilingual Documentation:** Possessing a rich set of aliases across Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Japanese, Korean, and French.
- **Structured Data Integration:** Being cataloged as a distinct entity in global knowledge systems, linking it to formal ontologies as a subclass of "flag design" and "national symbol."

## Body

### Definition and Core Classification
The 18-Star Flag is formally classified as an instance of a "national flag." In structured knowledge systems, a national flag is defined as the official flag representing a sovereign country or nation, serving as a primary national symbol embodying a state's identity, sovereignty, and history. The 18-Star Flag specifically applies to the jurisdiction of the Republic of China. It was dissolved, abolished, or demolished in 1928.

### Design and Visual Elements
The flag is categorized under the genres of a "solid flag" and a "charged flag." It utilizes a specific tricolor palette: red, black, and gold. The visual composition of the flag depicts three main elements:
1.  A `field` colored `red`.
2.  A `nine-pointed star` colored `black`.
3.  A `disk` element colored `gold`, with a specified quantity of `18`.

### Historical Timeline
*   **August 1907:** The design of the flag is inceptioned.
*   **1911:** The flag gains historical prominence as the emblem of the Wuchang Uprising.
*   **1913–1928:** The flag is officially adopted and used by the army of the Republic of China.
*   **1928:** The flag is dissolved, abolished, or demolished.

### Multilingual Aliases and Digital Identifiers
The entity is tracked in digital knowledge graphs with the **Google Knowledge Graph ID** `/g/155r19m7`. It has a sitelink count of 3, corresponding to Wikipedia articles in Japanese (`ja`), Korean (`ko`), and Chinese (`zh`). The flag is known by numerous aliases across these languages:
*   **Chinese:** 铁血十八星旗, 铁血十八星, 铁血旗, 十九星旗, 鐵血十八星旗, 鐵血十九星旗, 铁血十九星旗.
*   **Japanese:** 鉄血十八星旗, 鉄血十九星旗.
*   **Korean:** 철혈십팔성기, 십구성기, 철혈십구성기.
*   **French:** drapeau de l'armée de la République de Chine.
*   **English:** Iron Blood 18-Star Flag, 19-Star Flag, flag of the army of the Republic of China.