Taken from: http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Three_Sovereigns_and_Five_Emperors

Huangdi (Traditional Chinese: 黃帝; Simplified Chinese: 黄帝; pinyin: Huángdì), or the Yellow Emperor, is considered the ancestor of all Han Chinese in Chinese mythology. According to the historian Sima Qian (145 B.C.E.-90 B.C.E.), the Yellow Emperor reigned from 2697 B.C.E. to 2598 B.C.E. During the Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), he emerged as a chief deity of Taoism. His legendary victory in the war against Emperor Chi You at the Battle of Zhuolu is seen as the establishment of the Han Chinese nationality. Among his other accomplishments, the Yellow Emperor has been credited with the invention of the principles of Traditional Chinese medicine. The Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内經 Inner Canon of Huangdi) was supposedly composed in collaboration with his physician, Qibo. However, modern historiographers generally consider it to have been compiled from ancient sources by a scholar living between the Zhou and Han dynasties, more than 2,000 years later. He is said to have lived to the age of 100, and to have attained immortality after his physical death.

His wife, Lúo Zǔ, is said to to have taught the Chinese how to weave the silk from silkworms, and his historian, Cāng Jié, to have created the first Chinese characters. Legend also says that the Yellow Emperor invented a magical compass, played a part in the creation of the Guqin (seven-stringed musical instrument), together with Fuxi and Shennong, and to have invented the earliest form of the Chinese calendar, whose current sexagenary cycles are counted based on his reign. Atop Mount Dongwang, Huang Di captured the beast, Bai Ze, who described to him all the 11,520 types of monsters, shape-shifters, demons, and spirits in the world. Huang Di's retainer recorded this in pictures, which later became the book, Bai Ze Tu, which no longer exists.[6] Ling Lun is supposed to have given the emperor flutes tuned to the sounds of birds, which is said to be the foundation of Chinese traditional music.

Taken from:http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yellow_Emperor&oldid=154772223

Huangdi (traditional Chinese: 黃帝; simplified Chinese: 黄帝; pinyin: Huángdì), or the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero who is considered in Chinese mythology to be the ancestor of all Han Chinese. One of the legendary Five Emperors, it was written in the Shiji by historian Sima Qian (145 BC-90 BC) that the Yellow Emperor reigned from 2697 BC to 2598 BC. He emerged as a chief deity of Taoism during the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). The legend of his victory in the war against Emperor Chi You at the Battle of Zhuolu is seen as the establishment of the Han Chinese nationality.

Among his other accomplishments, the Yellow Emperor has been credited with the invention of the principles of Traditional Chinese medicine. The Huangdi Neijing (黄帝内經 Inner Canon of Huangdi) was supposedly composed in collaboration with his physician Qibo. However, modern historiographers generally consider it to have been compiled from ancient sources by a scholar living between the Zhou and Han dynasties, more than 2,000 years later. His interest in natural health and preventing and treating diseases meant he is said to have lived to the age of 100, and to have attained immortality after his physical death.

It is said that the basic principles of TCM were formed by Huangdi (The Yellow Emperor) in 2686 B.C.

In the legend, his wife Lúo Zǔ taught the Chinese how to weave the silk from silkworms, and his historian Cāng Jié created the first Chinese characters.

Legend says that the Yellow Emperor invented a magical compass during a battle against Chi You who used a great fog to obscure his enemy's sight. Thanks to the compass, the Yellow Emperor found out where Chi You was and defeated him. The compass was actually a chariot with a pointer which always pointed south. He is also said to have played a part in the creation of the Guqin, together with Fuxi and Shennong, and to have invented the earliest form of the Chinese calendar, and its current sexagenary cycles are counted based on his reign.

Huang Di captured Bai Ze atop Mount Dongwang. The beast described to him all the 11,520 types of monsters, shapeshifters, demons, and spirits in the world. Huang Di's retainer recorded this in pictures, which later became the book "Bai Ze Tu", which no longer exists.[1]

In legend, Ling Lun gave the emperor flutes tuned to the sounds of birds, which is said to be the foundation of Chinese traditional music.

Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Emperor

Huang-di, (黃帝/黄帝 huángdì) or the Yellow Emperor, is a legendary Chinese sovereign and cultural hero presented in Chinese mythology. He is said to be the ancestor of all Huaxia Chinese.[2] According to many sources he was one of the legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors.[3] Tradition holds that he reigned from 2697 BC to 2597 BC.[4]

Among his many accomplishments, Huangdi has been credited with the invention of the principles of traditional Chinese medicine. The Inner Canon of Huangdi (黄帝内經) was supposedly composed in collaboration with his physician Qibo. However, modern historiographers generally consider it to have been compiled from ancient sources by a scholar living between the Zhou and Han dynasties, more than 2,000 years later.

His interest in natural health and the prevention and treatment of diseases, according to historical sources,[citation needed] allowed him to live until the age of 100, and attain immortality after his physical death.

Name of Yellow emperor

In the Records of the Grand Historian, the first annal, first sentence, first few words began with the identity of the Yellow emperor.[1] Sima Qian, author of the records, gave considerable weight to the historicity of the emperor. For example, the Three Sovereigns has Fu Xi, Nüwa, and Shennong, but he carefully chose to begin with the Yellow Emperor.[5] He refrained from beginning the records with any of the other legendary figures of greater claimed antiquity.[5]

The Yellow emperor's surname is Gōngsūn (公孫), while his first name is Xuānyuán (軒轅).[6] His full name was Gōngsūn Xuānyuán (公孫軒轅).

Early years

Yellow emperor and Yan emperor were each leaders of a tribe benefited by the Yellow river.[7] At the earliest, he lived with his tribe in the northwest near Ji river (姬水) and later ended up at Zhuolu (涿鹿).[7] He then became a farmer taming 6 different special beasts, the bear (熊), brown bear (羆), pi (貔), xiu (貅), chu (貙) and tiger (虎).[7] Yan emperor was from a different area.

Epic battles

Main articles: Battle of Zhuolu and Battle of Banquan

When Yan emperor was leading his tribe, he met a frightening force called Chi You who led the nine Li barbarian tribes (九黎).[7] Immediately they became an enemy of one another. According to legend Chi You had a bronze head with metal foreheads.[7] He is said to be unbelievably fierce having 81 brothers.[2] Each having 4 eyes and 6 arms wielding terrible sharp weapons in every hand.[2] Their head is also that of a bull with two horns, but the body is that of a human.[2]

Yan emperor stood no chance and lost the fight. He escaped and later ended up in Zhuolu begging for help from the Yellow emperor.[7] At this point the epic Battle of Zhuolu between Chi You and the Yellow emperor forces began. Yellow emperor rallied his army along with the 6 types of special beasts that he tamed.[7] Along with the legend is that Chi You breathed out a thick fog and obscured the sunlight.[8] The battle dragged on for days while the emperor's side was in danger.[2]

Yellow emperor's army fell into disarray and could not find their way out of the battlefield. At this critical moment the emperor invented the South Pointing Chariot, and ordered its construction on the battlefield.[8][2] With the device he was able to lead his army out of the fog. Chi You then conjured up a heavy storm. Yellow emperor then called upon the gods, who blew away the storm clouds and cleared the battlefield.[8] Chi You and his army could not hold up and was later killed off by the Yellow emperor.[7] While this battle was a victory, the Yellow and Yan emperor had a conflict with each other. Thus began the Battle of Banquan at a place called Banquan (阪泉).[7] Yan emperor would eventually lose. The ancient place is then renamed to "Huangdiquan" (黃帝泉).[9]

Legends

In legend, his wife Léi Zǔ taught the Chinese how to weave silk from silkworms, and his historian Cāng Jié created the first Chinese characters.

His conception was supposed to have been signaled by a thunderclap on a clear day by the Heavens.

Huangdi is said to have ruled for a hundred years. He was said to have had 25 children, 14 of whom were sons. Of these 14 sons, 12 chose last names for themselves. It is also said that all the noble families of the first 3 dynasties of China - Xia, Shang, and Zhou - were direct descendants of Huangdi.

When Huangdi had lived for over a hundred years, he arranged his worldly affairs with his ministers, and prepared for his journey to the Heavens. One version said a Dragon came down from the Heaven and took Huangdi away. Another version said Huangdi himself turned into half-man and half Dragon and flew away.

The South-Pointing Chariot was said to have been invented in the time of Huangdi. This was a two-wheeled war chariot that had a pole in the center of the carriage. A small figurine stood on top of the pole. A set of gears connected the two wheels to the pole, so that no matter which way the chariot turned, the figurine on the pole always pointed in a pre-set direction, usually South. The South-Pointing Chariot did not require magnetism to work, and in models was depicted as the earliest form of the differential gearing system found in modern automobile transmission systems.

Huangdi is also said to have played a part in the creation of the Guqin, together with Fuxi and Shennong, and to have invented the earliest form of the Chinese calendar, and its current sexagenary cycles are counted based on his reign.

Huangdi captured Bai Ze atop Mount Dongwang. The beast described to him all the 11,520 types of monsters, shapeshifters, demons, and spirits in the world. Huang Ti's retainer recorded this in pictures, which later became the book "Bai Ze Tu", which no longer exists.[10]

In legend, Ling Lun gave the emperor flutes tuned to the sounds of birds, which is said to be the foundation of Chinese traditional music.

Louis Crompton says:

The eminent bibliographer Ji Yun, in his popular Notes from the "Yue-wei" Hermitage, (1800) provides us with another intriguing detail: the Yellow Emperor was also the first, he tells us, to take male bedmates.[11]

Religious views

Huangdi is an important figure in Chinese religions, particularly Taoism and Confucianism. He introduced the earliest form of martial arts into China, because he was also good in medicine, and he knew that the art was beneficial both for good health and for self-defense. Ye Shuxian (葉舒憲) associated the Yellow Emperor with the bear legends among northeast Asia people and the Dangun legend.[12]

History

One explanation sees Huangdi as euhemerized from a mythical god during the early Zhou Dynasty into a legendary emperor during the late Zhou dynasty—his legendary deeds embellished along the way. Indeed, the mixture of mythical and historical elements must be considered, especially in the case of the Yellow Emperor. However, Huangdi's reign thus can be seen to provide a useful and validated reference point, whence a consistent historical narrative has been developed: through Yao and Shun, the Xia and Shang dynasties, and so historically onwards. Thus, the Yellow Emperor can be seen as a figure centrally grounded, in a purely historical position, as well as being similarly important from the perspectives of religion, legend, and popular culture.

http://www.asiawind.com/forums/read.php?f=2&i=6243&t=6243

Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan

Date: 11-13-08 01:38

The Yellow Emperor 黃帝

The Chinese always refer themselves as:

"我們是黃帝的子孫 We are the descendants of the Yellow Emperor".

http://yn.chung.id.au/HuangDi.jpg

According to the book Shi Ji (史記) by Sima Qian (司馬遷 145BC to 86BC)

Huang Di (黃帝) or the Yellow Emperor was born in Shouqiu (壽丘 a place

in the present day area about six kilometers northeast of the county of

Qufu county 東北曲阜縣 in Shandong province 山東省). Huang Di's father was

called Shao Dian (少典) and his mother Jiao Shi (蟜氏). Shao Dian and Jiao

Shi were members of a clan called Xia (夏族). Huang Di grew up near a river

called Ji (姬). So Huang Di changed his surname from Gongsun (公-孫) to

Ji (姬). Huang Di lived in a place called Xuanyuan (軒轅) and he called

himself Xuanyuan. Therefore Huang Di's full name was Ji Xuanyuan (姬軒轅

).

The place where Ji Xuanyuan lived was the northern plain along the Huanghe

(黃河) or the Yellow River and it was believed that this was the region

of the cradle of Chinese civilization. This place was particularly suited

to agriculture because of the light rainfall and there was no forest cover

to be removed before crops could be planted.

Legend has it that in about 4700 years ago there were four clan-like societies

living in this region. They were the Xia (夏), Jiang (姜), Li (黎) and the

Yi (夷). The leader of the Xia clan was Ji Xuanyuan who defeated the Jiang

clan and later formed an alliance with the clans of Jiang and Yi. Their

main enemies were the Li which was a clan consisting of nine tribes headed

by a paramount leader, the belligerent Chi You (蚩尤). The leader of each

tribe had many brothers. Together they formed a very powerful group. The

weapons used in wars during the ancient time were merely by throwing stones.

Ji Xuanyuan had twenty five sons. His fifth son, Ji Hui (姬揮), invented

a weapon by tying a vine to the two ends of a bamboo stick. Hui called it

Gong (弓 bow). Later he invented the arrows made of bamboo strips. According

to legend, Hui was the first man in China to use bow and arrows to shoot

and kill animals. Ji Xuanyuan invented spears made of wood.

It was believed that in about 2700BC Ji Xuanyuan, with the helps from the

clans of Jiang and Yi, fought a decisive battle with the united forces of

Li at Zhuolu (涿鹿 present day Huailai county 懷來縣 in Hebei province 河

北省). During the battle the weapons used by the Li were just merely by

throwing stones. Whereas Ji Xuanyuan's troops were using wooden spears and

bows and arrows. The battle waged on for three days and three nights. With

better weapons the troops under the command of Ji Xuanyuan defeated the

Li even though the Li were stronger and more numerous. Chi You, the leader

of the Li alliance, was killed in the battle.

After the victory over the Li clan, the people elected Ji Xuanyuan the leader

of the united clans. People gave Ji Xuanyuan a title called Huang Di (or

Yellow Emperor) named after the yellow colour of the earth. The Yellow Emperor

encouraged exogamy as he wanted to create a melting pot of mixed blood people

in his domain. This vision made him highly respected throughout the course

of Chinese history. The Yellow Emperor was and still is regarded as the

person who united the tribes during ancient time. He established his capital

in Youxiong (有熊 present day Xin Zheng 新鄭 in Henan province 河南省) and

was the leader of the united clans for many years.

The importance of the Yellow Emperor throughout the history of China extended

beyond nation-making. He was credited with numerous inventions, from social

reform and formation of a government to such minor things as cooking utensils,

tea, chopsticks and many other articles. The most important inventions

of all were the compass, clothing, weapons (ancient time weapons were throwing

stones), using mud bricks to build houses, wooden dingy and music. His wife

Lei Zu (嫘祖) developed sericulture.

Legend had it that there was an occasion when Hui went hunting with his

father, the Yellow Emperor and his entourage. After the hunt at the end

of the day they were tired and were resting under a tree. Some of the attendants

were boiling water for him to drink.

Along flew a big bird and it perched on the tree top. Hui used his bow and

arrow and shot it down. At the same time he shot down some leaves from the

tree. Coincidentally the leaves fell into the boiling hot water. Immediately

the boiling hot water turned into brownish colour. The attendants wanted

to throw away the brownish boiled water. But one of them took a sip of it.

He screamed out in excitement,

"It tastes very good".

The attendant went and informed Yellow Emperor who had a sip of the brownish

boiled water. Yellow Emperor liked the taste too. He ordered his followers

to pluck a large quantity of the leaves from that particular tree and took

them back to the palace. The tree was a tea tree. The leaves were the tea

leaves.

From then on every day Yellow Emperor ordered hot water with the leaves

to be served as his drink instead of wine. Later the officials in his palace

followed him drinking hot water with leaves. It was called drinking tea.

This habit of drinking tea soon after spread far and wide in China and later

to the whole world.

Legend has it that, Chinese surnames were originated from the twenty five

sons of The Yellow Emperor who established fourteen settlements in different

regions of the land he ruled. He appointed 14 of his capable sons to rule

the 14 settlements. The 14 new feudal lords took on twelve new surnames

after the geographical locations which were delegated by their father to

rule on his behalf. The two sons named, You Yang (有陽) and Cang Lin (蒼

林) used their father's surname Ji (姬) as their surname. Another two sons

called Qing Yang (青陽) and Yi Gu (夷鼓) adopted Ji (己) as their surname.

The twelve surnames of Yellow Emperor's fourteen sons were Ji (姬), You

(酉), Qi (祁), Ji (己), Teng (滕), Zhen (箴), Ren (任), Xun (荀), Xi (僖

), Ji (姞), Huan (嬛) and (依). Generations later it became a tradition to

adopt the names of locations as surnames. It is estimated that 60 per cent

of the Chinese surnames were named after some geographical localities. [see

my book "The Origin of (550) Chinese Surnames" published in 2000].

It was believed that in 2600BC, The Yellow Emperor left his capital and

went on a tour-cum-inspection of his empire. He arrived at the foot of a

mountain called Qiao (橋山 present day Huangling county 黃陵縣 in Shaanxi

province 陜西省). The Yellow Emperor ordered to make a huge tripod cauldron

to cook food as he had invited the leaders of all the tribes for a great

feast.

The ancient Chinese believed that a yellow dragon came down from the sky

and took The Yellow Emperor and his entourage, seventy people in all, to

heaven. Legend has it that The Yellow Emperor did not die but ascended to

Heaven. (Over two thousand years later the bible said that Jesus also ascended

to Heaven) Those who missed the heavenly chariot gathered the yellow robes

previously wore by The Yellow Emperor and buried them in the spot where

he had ascended to heaven. That is the present day graveyard of The Yellow

Emperor in the city of Huangling (黃陵市) in Huangling county in Shaanxi

province (陝西省).

Sources:

Chapter one from Shi Ji by Sima Qian

史記卷一 五帝本紀第一

司馬遷 (145BC to 86BC)

(2) Zhong Guo Ren Shi Gang chapter three by Bo Yang

柏楊的中國人史綱第三卷

Federation of Chen Association Book:

中华民族鼻祖原姓公孙, 名轩辕, 有熊国君少典之子, 其母有蟜氏, 曰附宝在祁野见大电绕北斗枢星, 感而怀孕而生帝于轩辕之丘, 故名轩辕, 国于有熊氏. 友明高轮车及黄帝内经, 在位百年寿一百十一岁葬桥山. ?妃西?民曰?租, 生昌意及玄嚣.