One of the differences between Mexico and Japan is how often you see the national flag. That may be hard to picture, but on Independence Day you see it flying from every house and store, plus huge flags lining the streets. One of the most famous flags is the one in the Zócalo in Mexico City. I couldn’t believe how big it was the first time I saw it.

Flag in the Zócalo in Mexico City
You also see them at department stores or installed along the highways, huge enough that you can see them from your car window. Apparently these massive Mexican flags are installed at fifty-five different locations around the country. They’re a result of a 1999 policy by then-president Ernesto Zedillo to have them erected in the center of major cities and near historical sites. There was a standard size for them, but cities ended up making them bigger or smaller to suit their situation. There’s a giant flag in Cancun, which is a popular resort destination even among Japanese tourists, so I definitely recommend that you check it out if you travel there or to Mexico City. Do you know the symbolism of the Mexican flag? It has three stripes—green, white, and red from left to right—with the national symbol placed in the middle. The image shows an eagle sitting on a cactus growing out of a rock in the middle of the lake while devouring a serpent. The story depicts a prophecy from Aztec legend that the civilization would prosper if they built a great capital city on that spot. The capital city, Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City), was built on the lake in 1325. The colors also have symbolic meanings. Green represents the people’s hope for the destiny of their people. White stands for the purity of the Catholic religion. Red stands for the blood of the patriots who gave their lives for the country. You may not get the chance to actually visit it, but the city I live in now—Monterrey—has the largest flag in Mexico, installed on the Mirador del Obispado observation platform. This massive flag is 28.6 meters tall, 50 meters wide, and weighs 230 kilograms, sitting atop a base that’s 100.6 meters long. The Mexican flag has changed multiple times throughout history, so you can see the former flags up there as well. And since it’s on an observation platform, it also affords 360º views of the city of Monterrey below.



Mirador del Obispado
Although these massive flags were created under a government order, they’ve since become symbols of Mexican cities and now play a role in tourism as well. The pictures definitely don’t do them justice! If you come to Mexico, you should definitely make a point to go see one of its huge national flags.