Yellow Tiger Flag

When the Qing Empire ceded Taiwan to Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895, people on the island did not accept the new rule without resistance. Local elites declared the “Republic of Formosa” and proclaimed the then-governor Tang Jingsong as its first president. He held the position for only eight days before fleeing to China as Japanese troops advanced. Liu Yongfu later took over but failed to stop the invasion, fleeing himself in October. The Republic lasted only around 150 days.

Though brief, the Republic was the first time Taiwan had a national emblem. At least three “Blue Ground Yellow Tiger” flags were flown in northern Taiwan, later captured and sent back to Japan. The originals are now lost. Around 1909, Japanese painter Takahashi Untei was asked to duplicate the flag, and his work became the basis for all later versions.

Look carefully at the tiger’s eyes—one wide open, the other squinting—meant to symbolize vigilance both day and night.