Imperial Chinese Officials' Rank Flags

During the final years of the Qing Dynasty, a set of officials' rank flags were adopted in China. These were the Imperial Dragon (National) Flag, with the officials' rank insignia (known as the Mandarin Square, originally worn on the officials' surcoats) arranged horizontally in the upper fly, above the back of the Imperial dragon. These flags would be flown, for example, above Chinese diplomatic missions overseas.

Princes used circular emblems:

• Qinwang: two front-facing and two side-facing dragons, with five claws on each foot
• Junwang: four side-facing dragons, with five claws on each foot
• Beile: two front-facing dragons, with four claws on each foot
• Beizi: two side-facing dragons, with four claws on each foot

Nobilities and officials used square emblems:

• Duke (probably also Marquis and Count): two front-facing dragons, with four claws on each foot
• Civilian official first rank (probably also Viscount): two cranes
• Civilian official second rank (probably also Baron): two golden pheasants
• Civilian official third rank: two peacocks
• Military official first rank: two qilins (a mythical beast)
• Military official second rank: two lions
• Military official third rank: two leopards

Note that the emblems were arranged symmetrically, with the beasts and the birds facing/curling towards each other, and in the case of Qinwang, with the front-facing dragons at the centre and the side-facing dragons at each side.

A mandarin square with qilin can be seen here: http://www.embroiderersguild.com/stitch/infocus/qilin.html [dead link].

On flags the emblems would be somewhat simplified, of course.

Source: Flaggenbuch (Reichs-Marine-Amt, Berlin 1905)
Miles Li, 26 May 2007