OCTOBER 29, 2024 — During a recent session of the Taichung City Council in Taiwan, discussions reignited over the longstanding issue of redesigning the city’s flag, Liberty Times reported.
The current flag, a simple yellow banner with the Chinese characters for “Taichung City” in red, has frequently drawn public criticism and was even named Taiwan’s “ugliest city flag” in a 2016 public vote.
Councillor Yang Tien-chung called for a design that better reflects Taichung’s diverse heritage, and also emphasizes elements from the former Taichung County, which was amalgamated into Taichung City in 2010.
In response to Yang’s proposal, Deputy Mayor Cheng Chao-hsin stated that a draft proposal for flag legislation would be submitted to the council for review early next year. Cheng noted that the city’s emblem, Mid-Lake Pavilion, a Taichung Park icon used in the city government’s emblem since 2007, could serve as a focal point in the new flag design due to its high recognition, according to the Broadcasting Corporation of China.

However, Yang argued that while the Pavilion represents the city, Taichung’s many historical sites and landscapes, including the scenic Gaomei Wetlands in the former county area, should also be represented. “Incorporating county elements would be the most democratic approach,” Yang said.
In response, Cheng underscored that the former county areas and the city has long been unified, and there should be no division of the two in terms of design choices.

Efforts to redesign the city’s flag go back to 2016, when Taichung City held a public competition for alternative designs. SETN reported that the winning entry, a white flag with elements inspired by the city’s emblem and a lake-green base, was initially well-received. However, mixed reviews over its complexity led to the design being shelved. Deputy Mayor Cheng explained that the city aims for a flag that aligns with design standards of simplicity, symbolic meaning, and recognizability, which the design did not meet, according to China Times.
Taichung has used its current flag since before the amalgamation.
Image: Public Domain