The speaker for the ninth presentation was Dr. Vladimir Liscak of the Czech Republic. Dr. Vladimir is the head of the Department of East Asian Studies at the Oriental Institute of the Academy of Sciences and a member of the Czech Vexillological Society. His paper was entitled Early flags of China: Designs and Symbolism.
Dr. Valdimir gave us a short history of flags in China. Apparently China can lay claim to the oldest flags that used textiles. The various wars in ancient China required an effective use of flags on the battle field. The oldest flag poles in China almost always had a trident on top.
Although the US Flag Code may be the most popular reference in flag protocol, China may have the oldest flag code in text called the Rites of Zhou, which give strict flag guidelines and usage. The only contender to have an older book is Ancient Egypt, if only a flag protocol scroll is ever discovered.
Like in the west with heraldry flags were a phenomena primarily used by the high nobility.
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