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Yanhuang or Yan Huang (simplified Chinese: 炎黄; traditional Chinese: 炎黃; pinyin: Yán Huáng) was the name of a mythical ethnic group of ancient China who were said to have inhabited the Yellow River basin area. They claimed their descent from the two tribes led by the Flame Emperor (Yandi) and Yellow Emperor (Huangdi).^[1] Their main achievement was to join to strengthen the basis of the two tribes and their civilized community. The Yanhuang are considered to be the founders of the Chinese people and the initiators of Chinese culture.

Shaodian's wife Youjiao gave birth to the Yellow Emperor near the Ji River and the Yan Emperor next to the Jiang River which accounted for their different temperaments. Although Shaodian preceded the Yellow and Yan emperors, he was not their father.^[2]

During the time of Huangdi, Shennong's descendants declined. Hong Sheng and the Yan emperor were descended from Shennong. They both possessed comprehensive knowledge. Five hundred years elapsed from Shennong to the time of the Yellow and Yan emperors. The Yan emperor was the last generation; Shennong, Shaodian, the Flame [Yan] Emperors, and Huangdi all preceded him.^[3]

To this day, the Chinese people still refer to themselves with the term Yan Huang Zisun (meaning "descendants of Yan and Huang").^[4]

References

^ Dai (戴), Yi(逸); Gong (龚/龔), Shuduo (书铎/書鐸) (2002–2003). A China Watcher's History: Prehistory of the Xia, Shang and Western Zhou Dynasties (中國通史. 史前夏商西周) (in Chinese). Intelligence Press. ISBN 962-8792-80-6. p 32.
^ Guoyu.
^ Sima Qian. Records of the Grand Historian.
^ Law, Eugene (2004). Intercontinental's best of China. Beijing: China Intercontinental Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-7-5085-0429-2.