AUGUST 26, 2025 — In Taiwan, the Taichung city government has officially unveiled a new city flag, replacing the previous flag that was widely derided as the “ugliest city flag in Taiwan,” says FTV News.
Announced at a municipal meeting today by Mayor Lu Shiow-yen, the new design replaces the plain yellow background and red “Taichung City” characters with a modernized emblem featuring the Mid-Lake Pavilion of Taichung Park, a recognized local landmark, according to a press release by the city government.
The updated flag incorporates both Chinese and English text on a white background, with the pavilion’s image as the visual centrepiece.
Despite the city’s claims of increased unity and symbolism, the roll out of the new flag has faced significant political backlash. City Councillor Huang Shou-da and others criticized the administration for bypassing both public participation and legislative review.
For decades, Taichung’s simple yellow-and-red flag has been a source of local and international mockery, with online polls in 2016 branding it the country’s least attractive city flag. According to the Taipei Times, critics described the old flag as visually unremarkable and lacking distinctiveness.
Mayor Lu emphasized that the new flag merges the city flag and the government flag for the sake of a unified municipal image. Civil Affairs Bureau Director-General Wu Shih-wei confirmed that all city government offices are required to adopt the new flag immediately and that its first appearance would be at a signing ceremony with Hoboken, New Jersey.
Image: Taichung City Government
