The flag of Taiwan, often referred to as the "Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth," comprises a red field with a navy blue rectangle in the upper hoist-side quadrant. Inside the rectangle is a white sun with 12 triangular rays. Each of these rays represents one of the twelve months of the year. The white sun is symbolic of democracy and equality, and it derives from the emblem of the Kuomintang (KMT), the Nationalist Party of China. The blue stands for the sky and the ocean, highlighting Taiwan's island nature, while the red represents the Han Chinese people and their blood shed during the revolution and wars.