Last modified: 2003-04-19 by phil nelson
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![[Taiwan Independentist flag]](../images/t/tw-ind4.gif)
by António Martins
During the past years, Taiwan has been gradually evolving into a new country. The clearest signs yet came in the Spring of 1994, when the democratic opposition initiated its "New Name, New Flag, New Anthem" campaign. The flag depicted here was selected after a wide competition in which 187 different flags were entered. The green color symbolizes the natural beauty of the island and the need to protect the environment. The white color represents the original purity of the people on the island, and the desire to preserve this natural beauty. The symbol in the middle depicts four hearts in harmony, representing the four population groups on the island--aborigines, Hakka, Min-nan Taiwanese, and mainlanders. The white lines between the four hearts join centrally, meaning that the four groups have to learn to live together in peace. The flag also has a nickname: `the eight chrysanthemum-petal flag'.
Wen-Jer Wang, 3 July 1996