Harbin (1997-1998)

adopted in 1997, though its designer remains unknown. The flag was banned by the authorities less than a year after its introduction. The green field symbolizes ‘sustainable development.’ At the center is the city emblem: its upper part consists of a five-petaled white lilac flower (the city flower of Harbin) combined with a six-petaled snowflake (reflecting the city’s climate). The lower part features five white lines resembling musical staves, forming wave patterns that symbolize the Songhua River. From these wave patterns emerges a musical note, representing Harbin’s identity as both the home of Sun Island and a ‘city of music’.