Aptechguwahatiaz at 02:04, 9 March 2026

2026-03-09T02:04:13Z

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{{Short description|none}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{Infobox Flag
| Name = Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China
| Type =
| Article =
| Image = Flag of Macau.svg
| Nickname = Lotus Flag
| Morenicks =
| Use = 110110
| Symbol = {{FIAV|110110}} {{FIAV|normal}}
| Proportion = 2:3
| Adoption = Approved on 31 March 1993 by [[National People's Congress]], first used on {{Start date and age|1999|12|20|df=y}}
| Designer = Zhang Lei and Xiao Hong
| Design = Emerald green field with a [[Sacred lotus|lotus]] flower above the stylised [[Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge]] and water in white, beneath an arc of five golden five-pointed stars, where the large star is in the center flanked by four smaller stars, two on each side of the large star.
}}
{{Chinese
| title = Regional flag of the Macao Special Administrative Region
| t = 澳門特別行政區區旗
| s = 澳门特别行政区区旗
| p = Àomén Tèbié Xíngzhèngqū Qūqí
| y = Oumún Dahkbiht Hàhngjing Kēui Kēuikèih
| j = Ou3mun2 Dak6bit6 Hang4zing3 Keoi1 Keoi1kei4
| por = Bandeira regional da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau
}}

The '''Regional Flag of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China'''{{efn|{{zh|t=中華人民共和國澳門特別行政區區旗}}; {{langx|pt|Bandeira regional da Região Administrativa Especial de Macau }}}} is emerald green with a [[Sacred lotus|lotus]] flower above the stylized [[Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge|Governador Nobre de Carvalho Bridge]] and water in white, beneath a circular arc of five golden five-pointed stars: one large star in the center of the arc with two smaller stars on each side of the large star, each with a point angled directly outward from the center of the common circle on which they lie.

The lotus was chosen as the floral emblem of [[Macau]]. The [[Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge]] is a bridge linking the [[Macau Peninsula]] and the island of [[Taipa]]. The bridge is one of the most recognisable landmarks for the territory. The water beneath the lotus and the bridge symbolise Macau's position as a port and its role played in the territory. The five five-pointed stars echo the design of the [[flag of the People's Republic of China]], symbolizing the relationship Macau has with its sovereign state.

Macao began to use the flag design before its reintegration into China on December 20th, 1999<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Macao |url=https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/mo.html#:~:text=dates:%20by%20country-,The%20Special%20Region%20flag,that%20he%20first%20visited%20Macao. |access-date=2026-01-17 |website=www.crwflags.com}}</ref>. The flag was designed by professor of arts and crafts at Henan University, Xiao Hong<ref name=":0" />.


According to the [[Macau Basic Law|Basic Law of Macau]], the Macau Regional Flag is a green flag with five stars, a lotus flower, a bridge and sea water. This law also adopted "Apart from displaying the [[Flag of the People's Republic of China]], the Macao Special Administrative Region may also use a regional flag".<ref>[http://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/1999/leibasica/index_uk.asp "Basic Law of the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People' s Republic of China"]. ''Government Printing Bureau''. {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205042947/http://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/1999/leibasica/index_uk.asp |date=5 February 2012}}.</ref>

== 1993 proposals ==
[[File:1-Photo-Flagge-Macao.JPG|thumb|The chosen flag of Macau.]]
In 1993, several proposed designs were put forward.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.fotw.info/flags/mo!.html| title=1993 Proposals for the Macau Flag| website=[[Flags of the World]]| date=31 July 2020| access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref>
* Similar to the current flag of [[Macau]], but the lotus is stylized differently and is found in a disc, with the stars inside the flower;
* A [[tricolour (flag)|tricolour]] of red-white-red; the middle band has a depiction of St. Paul's Cathedral in Macau;
* A [[triband (flag)|triband]] with a stylised "[[M]]" standing for Macau; a large star above four smaller stars representative of China;
* A vertical [[Gallery of bicolor flags|bicolour]] of green and red, resembling the [[Flag of Portugal]], with a stylised lotus flower in the lower fly;
* A symbol with a red, a blue, and a green circle arranged in a pyramid with a yellow star inside the red circle over a horizontal bicolour of white and yellow;
* A red and blue stylised "[[M]]" with a large five-pointed star, with a red lotus blossom within the centre of the star, on the upper fly of a white flag with two blue horizontal bands;
* Similar to the current flag of Macau, but the flag colour is red, and the emblem excludes the bridge and water underneath the lotus on the current flag;
* A stylised lotus flower with an arch of yellow stars on a red flag;
* A stylised lotus flower with an arch of yellow stars above the flower on a red flag;
* A depiction of the [[Guia Fortress]] Lighthouse, the oldest in Asia, under a golden star; a white halo ring forms around the lighthouse, and two light cones divide the upper fly (red in colour) and lower fly (blue in colour);
* A vertical bicolour of green and red, resembling the [[Flag of Portugal]], with a white gull in the upper fly and a white depiction of the [[Governor Nobre de Carvalho Bridge|Gov. Nobre de Carvalho Bridge]] in the lower fly;
* A stylised lotus flower on a red flag with an arch of yellow stars above the flower;
* A red triangle with base on [[Hoist (flag)|hoist]] and apex on the fly edge, filled with the stars from the [[Flag of the People's Republic of China|flag of China]];
* A stylised lotus flower, with a red-outlined star within the top petal;
* Another depiction of the Gov. Nobre de Carvalho Bridge in the lower fly on a red flag, with the five yellow stars running parallel to the outline of the bridge;

<gallery>
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 012.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 014.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 011.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 001.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 009.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 013.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 008.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 007.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 006.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 010.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 002.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 005.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 004.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 015.svg
File:Proposed flag for Macau SAR 003.svg
</gallery>

== Design ==
=== Colors ===
{{Unreferenced section|date=June 2025}}
{| class=wikitable width=60% style="text-align:center;"
|-
! [[File:Flag of Macau.svg|40px]]<br>Colors scheme
! ! style="background:#067662; width:100px; color:white;"| Emerald Green
! style="background:#FFFFFF; width:100px; color:black;"| White
! style="background:#FFDF1E; width:100px; color:black;" | Yellow
|-
| [[CMYK]] || 95-0-17-54 || 0-0-0-0 || 0-13-88-0
|-
|[[Web colors|HEX]]
|#067662
|#FFFFFF
|#FFDF1E
|-
|[[RGB color model|RGB]]
|6-118-98
|255-255-255
|255-223-30
|}

==Portuguese rule==
Prior to the handover to China in 1999, Macau officially used only the [[flag of Portugal|Portuguese flag]], in contrast to [[British Hong Kong]] which used a defaced [[Blue Ensign]] as [[Flag of Hong Kong|its flag]], alongside the [[Union Jack]]. In 1967, there were proposals to give each [[Portuguese Empire#Portuguese Africa and the overseas provinces (1822–1961)|overseas province]] its own flag, consisting of the Portuguese flag with the local coat of arms, but none was ever adopted.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714232604/http://www.fotw.us/flags/mo-1967.html| title=Macao – 1967 Colonial Flag Proposal| date=2 September 2005| website=Flags of the World| access-date=2 October 2025}}</ref>

The [[Government of Macau]] adopted a flag with the colony's [[coat of arms]] on a light blue field.<ref>{{cite web| title=The Handover| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001006141934/http://www.casademacau.org/handover.htm| archive-date=6 October 2000| url=http://www.casademacau.org/handover.htm| website=Casa de Macau Vancouver – Handover Archives}}</ref> Meanwhile, the [[Municipal Council of Macau]] had a flag with a Portuguese-style coat of arms and two angels as heraldic supporters, which was used at the 1999 handover ceremony as well as the [[1990 Asian Games|1990]], [[1994 Asian Games|1994]] and [[1998 Asian Games]].

==Historical flags==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:110px;"|Flag!!style="width:100px;"|Duration!!style="width:250px;"|Use!!style="width:250px;"|Description
|-
| [[File:Flag Portugal (1521).svg|border|100px]] || 1557–1578 || [[Flag of Portugal|Flag of]] [[Portugal]] (1521–1578) used in [[Portuguese Empire|colonial-era]] [[Portuguese Macau]]. || rowspan="8" | The Portuguese flag was used in colonial-era Macau, as there was no territorial flag.
|-
| [[File:Flag Portugal (1578).svg|border|100px]] || 1578–1640 || Flag of Portugal (1495–1578) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau.
|-
| [[File:Flag Portugal (1640).svg|border|100px]] || 1640–1667 || Flag of Portugal (1640–1667) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau.
|-
| [[File:Flag Portugal (1667).svg|border|100px]] || 1667–1707 || Flag of Portugal (1667–1707) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau.
|-
| [[File:Flag Portugal (1707).svg|border|100px]] || 1707–1816 || Flag of Portugal (1707–1750) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau.
|-
| [[File:Flag of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarves.svg|border|100px]] || 1816–1830 || Flag of Portugal (1816–1830) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Portugal (1830–1910).svg|border|100px]]|| 1830–1910 || Flag of Portugal (1830–1910) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Portugal.svg|border|100px]]|| 1911–1999 || Flag of Portugal (1911–1999) used in colonial-era Portuguese Macau.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Municipal Council of Macau.svg|border|100x100px]]|| 1975–1999 || Flag of the [[Municipality of Macau]], one of two local municipal governments. || A light blue field charged with the coat of arms of the Municipality of Macau. This was the flag used at sport events and at the 1999 handover ceremony.
|-
| [[File:Bandeira Leal Senado White.jpg|border|100x100px]]|| 1975–1999 || Flag of the [[Municipality of Macau]], one of two local municipal governments. || White Variant.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Municipal Council of Ilhas.svg|border|100x100px]]|| 1975–1999 || Flag of the [[Municipality of Ilhas]], one of two local municipal governments. || An orange field charged with the coat of arms of the Municipality of Ilhas.
|-
| [[File:Flag of the Government of Portuguese Macau (1976-1999).svg|border|100px]]|| 1975–1999 || Flag of Portuguese colonial [[Government of Macau]]. || A light blue field charged with the official coat of arms of the Portuguese colony of Macau. During the Portuguese administration this flag also represented the territory of Macau in the international forums, although it was not the official flag of the Portuguese colony.
|-
| [[File:Flag of Portuguese Macau Unofficial.svg|border|100px]]|| 1975–1999 || Semi Official Variant flag of Portuguese [[colony of Macau|Macau]]. || Semi Official variant without a [[mural crown]] representing the [[Kingdom of the Algarve]] castles in the coat of arms and replacing "Government of Macau" with simply "Macau". This flag was found at the [[University of Macau]] in a photo of [[International University Sports Federation]] event and it was used in man. Although never used officially, this flag was used in another sporting events to represent the colony.
|-
|}

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Flag of Portuguese Colony Governor.svg|{{FIAV|historical}} Flag of the Portuguese [[Governor of Macau]]
File:Flag of Macau (1932 proposal).svg|{{FIAV|proposal}} Proposed flag for [[Portuguese Macau]] (1932)
File:Flag of Portuguese Macau (proposal).svg|{{FIAV|proposal}} Proposed flag for [[Portuguese Macau]] (1965)
File:Flag of Macau construction 01.svg|Construction sheet
</gallery>

== See also ==
* [[Emblem of Macau]]
* [[List of Chinese flags]]
* [[Flag of Hong Kong]]
* [[Flag of the People's Republic of China]]
* [[March of the Volunteers|National anthem of the People's Republic of China]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Flags of Macau}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11y0oKtl_08 Macau Handover Ceremony 1999]
*[https://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/1999/01/lei06.asp Lei n.º 6/1999 Utilização e Protecção da Bandeira e do Emblema Regionais]
*[https://bo.io.gov.mo/bo/i/2019/05/regadm05.asp Regulamento Administrativo n.º 5/2019 Disposições concretas relativas à utilização das Bandeiras e Emblemas Nacionais e Regionais e à execução instrumental e vocal do Hino Nacional]
*{{FOTW|id=mo|title=Macau}}
*[https://www.dsaj.gov.mo/download/forms/080805E.pdf Direcção dos Serviços de Assuntos de Justiça - Symbols of our Country & of the MSAR]

{{Asia topic|Flag of|title=[[Flags of Asia]]}}
{{Macau topics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Macau}}
[[Category:Flags of China]]
[[Category:Flags introduced in 1999]]
[[Category:Flags of dependent territories]]
[[Category:Flags with stars]]
[[Category:Green flags]]
[[Category:Horizontally symmetrical flags]]
[[Category:Culture of Macau|Flag]]
[[Category:Flags with flowers]]

Flag of Macau - Revision history

Aptechguwahatiaz at 02:04, 9 March 2026