How to read PLA ribbon Rack

[OCSredleg]

Hello, 

I am serving abroad and I have had the chance to observe Chinese PLA members. In particular, the ribbon rack. Where Western ribbon racks have to do with awards, decorations, and campaigns, when I looked up the Chinese version of a ribbon rack, of the Senior Colonel I observed (see below), his rack has something to do with length of service and level of command. So, how does the PLA use ribbon racks?

 

 

[jcwater]

[OCSredleg]

Thanks kindly. Unfortunately I am not literate in Chinese. 

[Lukasz Gaszewski]

Since nobody (except jcwater) has, I will try to help.

 

PLA ribbon racks convey basically two kinds of information: the wearer’s position in the level of command and the number of years served.

 

With the level of command it is quite simple. It is denoted by the ribbon bar located centrally in the upper row. Each level is represented by a color: light green – platoon, light blue – company, medium blue – battalion, purple – regiment, red – division, khaki – army corps, orange – military region, lemon – CMC (Central Military Committee – the highest PLA’s commanding body). The function held is denoted by stars: one star – deputy commander, two stars – full commander, except the platoon level, where there are no deputies, so one star denotes a full commander, and except CMC, where both the deputy chairmen and the members wear a gold star inside a wreath (the function of the chairman is reserved for the Secretary General of CCP).

 

With the length of service the things are a bit more complicated. There are six types of ribbons to indicate the years of service: green with a red stripe edged in yellow – 1 year, dark blue with two white stripes – 2 years, beige with three red stripes – 3 years, gray with four yellow stripes – 4 years, five-color – 5 years, ten-color – 10 years. The ribbons for the years 6 through 9, as well as for 20 through 60 that are shown on the pictures have been designed but are not used. In order to calculate the total length of service you just need to count all the years of service represented by particular ribbons. The plain light gray ribbon does not carry any information and is used only to keep three bars per row.

 

The pictures provided by jcwaters explain all this in Chinese.

 

In your example, the rack indicates a deputy divisional commander (one star on the red background) with the total of 24 years of service (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 1 + 2 + 3 + 1 + 2). The rank of a senior colonel seems quite typical for a post like that.

 

I hope it helped a little.

 

Regards,

 

Lukasz

 

 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Lukasz Gaszewski

[OCSredleg]

That was very helpful. Thank you Sir