National Emblem of the People's Republic of China
The National Emblem of the People's Republic of China is a national symbol of the People's Republic of China and contains in a red circle a representation of Tiananmen Gate, the entrance gate to the Forbidden City, where Mao Zedong declared the foundation of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949. Above this representation are the five stars found on the national flag. The largest star represents the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), while the four smaller stars represent the four social classes as defined in Maoism. The emblem is described as being "composed of patterns of the national flag":
...The red color of the flag symbolizes revolution and the yellow color of the stars the golden brilliant rays radiating from the vast red land. The design of four smaller stars surrounding a bigger one signifies the unity of the Chinese people under the leadership of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
—China Yearbook 2004
Proposals of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, September 25, 1949
Proposal of Tsinghua University, October 30, 1949
Second round proposals by Tsinghua University
Proposal of China Central Academy of Fine Arts No.1 - June 15, 1950
The Tiananmen (also Tian'anmen, or the Gate of Heaven-Sent Peace, is a monumental gate in the city center of Beijing, China, the front gate of the Imperial City of Beijing, located near the city's Central Business District, and widely used as a national symbol.
Tian'anmen in 2020
Tiananmen in 1901
Tiananmen in 2006
A close-up of the rooftop