符号与象征:晚清民国海军军旗研究

Development of Symbols: On the Naval Ensigns of the Late Qing Dynasty

古代中国水师逐渐建立了一套别具特色的军旗系统,但却未有近代意义上的海军军旗。鸦片战争后,西方海军的近现代军旗制度传入我国,并逐渐取代了传统水师军旗。1862年,英国人阿思本擅代清政府设计了一面海军军旗,意图掌控中国海军,但舰队被清政府遣散,其设计的海军军旗未被采用。阿思本事件后,清政府颁行了第一面海军军旗,即为三角黄龙旗。为与西方化一(西方多用长方旗),1888年,海军军旗改为长方黄龙旗。民国建立后,黄龙旗被废除。各方围绕国旗、军旗的样式问题展开了一场论战,最后确立五色旗为国旗,十八星旗为陆军旗,青天白日旗为海军旗。北伐后,南京国民政府以青天白日旗为国旗、党旗、军旗。晚清民国时期,中国海军军旗历经黄龙军旗、青天白日军旗的变换,其变换并非军旗符号的简单更易,实质上蕴含着极其复杂而又丰富的政治取义与时代内涵。

The ancient Chinese navy gradually established a distinctive military flag system, but had not developed a real naval ensign. After the Opium War, the modern system of Western naval ensign was introduced into China and took the place. In 1862, Sherrard Osborne designed a naval ensign for the Qing government, but it was abandoned as his attempt to control the Chinese navy failed. Later the Qing government issued the first official naval ensign, the triangle ＂Yellow Dragon Flag＇; which was changed into rectangular in 1888. After the establishment of the Republic of China, the ＂Yellow Dragon Flag＂ was nullified and a debate arose on the style of the national flag and the military flag. At last, the ＂Five- Coloured Flag＂ was selected as the national flag, the ＂18-Star Flag＂ was adopted by the army and the ＂Blue Sky with a White Sun Flag＂ was adopted as the naval ensign. After the Northern Expedition, the national government of Nanjing selected the ＂Blue Sky with a White Sun Flag＂ as the national flag, the party flag and the military flag. The evolution of Chinese naval ensign during the late Qing dynasty and the early Republican China period was not only the change of symbols, but also a demonstration of political connotation of the time.