China’s national flag, the Five-Starred Red Flag, was the winning design in a country-wide competition held in 1949. It was first erected by Mao Zedong in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on October 1, 1949, the day the People’s Republic was founded, and is flown on buildings and parks across China on the same date each year, China’s National Day. The flag features a red background symbolising revolution, with one large five-pointed yellow star and a semi-circle of four smaller ones in the top left corner signifying the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. The flag is raised at sunrise and lowered at sunset every day in a ritual ceremony with People’s Liberation Army soldiers in Tiananmen Square. It is flown throughout the year on key public buildings, airports, ports, railway stations and border posts and by schools during term times. It may also be flown elsewhere on occasions, including New Year’s Day and the Spring Festival.­­­­