The Plum Blossom

The Plum Blossom(Chinese:Hoa mai;pinyin:méi huā) is a patriotic song of theRepublic of China(Taiwan) written for the 1976 Taiwanese filmVictory(Hoa mai) by its directorLiu Chia-chang(Lưu gia xương).Chiang Wei-kuosoon rearranged it into "The Plum Blossom March" (Hoa mai khúc quân hành).

Theplum blossomwas adopted as theNational Flower of the Republic of Chinaon July 21, 1964. The song likens the resilience of the Chinese people to that of the plum blossom, a message that was especially salient during the political conditions of the 1960s. The blossom is a symbol of resilience in the face of adversity, has three stamens symbolizingSun Yat-sen'sThree Principles of the People,and five petals, which represent the five branches of thegovernment.