Vietnamese five-color flags

In Vietnamese culture, five-color flags (Vietnamese: cờ ngũ sắc, chữ Hán: 旗五色) or five elements flags (Vietnamese: cờ ngũ hành, chữ Hán: 旗五行), deity flag (Vietnamese: cờ thần, chữ Hán: 旗神) are traditionally flown during festivals and religious ceremonies. A five-color flag consists of five concentric squares in red, green, yellow, and blue, representing the five elements (ngũ hành). The order of colors varies. The outermost square has three ragged edges, similar to fringing. The center of the flag is sometimes defaced to commemorate a specific concept or personality.

Cờ ngũ sắc

Use	Other
Proportion	1:1

Vietnamese five-color flags
Vietnamese alphabet	Cờ ngũ sắc
Chữ Hán	旗五色

A five-color flag at a festival in 2010 commemorates the millennial of the founding of Hanoi.

Historically, some imperial and military ensigns followed a similar pattern.

Variations

• 
  Imperial ensign of the Nguyễn dynasty (1802–1955)
• 
  Flag of Thánh Trần (1956–1975) used by the South Vietnamese Navy
• 
  Funeral flag
• 
  Catholic funeral flag
• 
  Catholic funeral flag (Good Friday variant)

See also

• List of flags of Vietnam

External links

• Vietnamese Religious and Festival Flags at Flags of the World