---
title: "Flag of Vietnam: colours and meaning"
description: "What every colour and symbol on the Vietnam flag stands for, its official 2:3 ratio, and the year the current design was adopted."
url: https://atoneplace.net/flag/vietnam/
site: "At One Place"
---

# The flag of Vietnam

**The flag of Vietnam: A red field with a large five-pointed yellow star at the centre.**

Ratio 2:3 · current design adopted 1955

The star's points were rounded slightly in 1955, which is the only design change since the flag first appeared in 1940 — the earlier version had blunter points. It is one of the simplest national flags and one of the easiest to confuse with Morocco's and China's at speed. The five-point symbolism of social classes parallels the four small stars on the Chinese flag without copying them. Vietnamese law does not specify a Pantone value, and reproductions vary between a scarlet and a deeper red.

## Flags it gets confused with

| Flag | How to tell them apart |
| --- | --- |
| Morocco | Morocco's star is a green interlaced outline, not a solid yellow star. |
| China | China has five stars in the upper hoist, not one in the centre. |

## What the colours mean

*Flag laws usually specify a Pantone chip, a CMYK mix or just a colour name. Converting any of those to sRGB is lossy, which is why published hex values disagree.*

- **Red** (#DA251D) — Revolution, and the blood of the struggle for independence
- **Yellow** (#FFFF00) — The star; the traditional colour of the Vietnamese people

## The symbols on it

| What | What it stands for |
| --- | --- |
| Five-pointed star | The five groups of society: workers, peasants, soldiers, intellectuals and traders |

- **Ratio:** 2:3
- **Current design adopted:** 1955
- **Colours:** red, yellow

## Common questions

### What does the flag of Vietnam look like?

A red field with a large five-pointed yellow star at the centre.

### What do the colours of the Vietnam flag mean?

Red: revolution, and the blood of the struggle for independence. Yellow: the star; the traditional colour of the Vietnamese people.

### How do you tell the Vietnam flag from the Morocco one?

Morocco's star is a green interlaced outline, not a solid yellow star.

### When was the Vietnam flag adopted?

The current design dates from 1955, and its official ratio is 2:3.

## Related pages

- [Vietnam](https://atoneplace.net/country/vietnam/)
- [The flag of Morocco](https://atoneplace.net/flag/morocco/)
- [The flag of China](https://atoneplace.net/flag/china/)
- [Every flag with red in it](https://atoneplace.net/flag/colour/red/)
- [The flag of United States](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-states/)
- [The flag of United Kingdom](https://atoneplace.net/flag/united-kingdom/)
- [The flag of Canada](https://atoneplace.net/flag/canada/)
- [The flag of France](https://atoneplace.net/flag/france/)
- [The flag of Germany](https://atoneplace.net/flag/germany/)
- [The flag of Russia](https://atoneplace.net/flag/russia/)
- [The flag of Italy](https://atoneplace.net/flag/italy/)
- [The flag of Mexico](https://atoneplace.net/flag/mexico/)

## Sources

- The World Factbook — Central Intelligence Agency (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/) [Public domain (US Government)]