The Chinese people regard Suiren, Fuxi and Shennong as the earliest rulers and are collectively known as the Three Sage Kings. They made important contribution to improve the lives of the Chinese people.

Suiren was the first and he supposedly lived about 18,000 years ago. His greatest contribution was the art of making fire by drilling wood. With this skill mankind could create fire on demand enabling mankind to eat cooked food. It also enabled mankind to keep warm and ward of wild animals.

Fuxi taught people to domesticate animals and make nets to catch fish, birds and wild animals, ensuring a continuous supply of food. He also laid down marriage laws and invented a 35 string musical instrument. However most important of all, he create the Eight Trigram or Bagua which became the basis of the I Ching or Books of Changes.

The last of the Sage King was Shennong ?also known as Yandi. He invented many instruments for farming and taught people to grow rice, wheat, beans and two types of millet. He also devised barter trading. Lesser known is his involvement in invention of a 5 strings musical instrument.

Most people remember Shennong for his relentless effort to find remedies for illness by tasting hundreds of wild berries. Eventually one of these berries took his life.

After Shennong, come Huangdi, Zhuanxu, Diku, Yao and Shun. They were collectively known as the Five Legendary Emperors.


Huangdi was credited with many achievements. He has strong leadership skills and knows how to bring out the best in his people to innovate and help him rule the country.

Huangdi was instrumental to the development of a written language for the Chinese people. He was also very interested in the art of healing and commissioned the compilation of the Yellow Emperor's Medicine Classic. He also developed the 60 year cycle Farmer's Calendar.

Huangdi was a peaceful man who did not like war. During his rule, his people enjoyed peace, stability and prosperity and it ushered in an age of civilization for the Chinese people.

Huangdi's successor was Zhuanxu. Zhuanxu was not his son but he was chosen over many of Huangdi's son because of his special ability. Zhuanxu's contribution was for bringing law and order to his people and for strengthening the power of the central authority.

Zhuanxu was succeeded by Diku who is a great grandson of Huangdi. Diku expanded the government by creating new posts and ministries that handles specific duties. These ministries include Land, Forestry, Water, Minerals and Fire. He was a benevolent King who put his people's welfare above himself and he conducted person inspections to see that the country was running well.

Yao was Diku's son. He was industrious and benevolent like his father. He further developed the calendar and modified the timing of planting that resulting in bumper harvests.

Shun was Yao's son in law. Although his mother died when he was very young, and his step mother and father ill-treated him, he remained filial to them. His great virtue helped him to gain fame and he was summoned to King Yao's service at 30. He eventually married King Yao's daughter.

Shun divided the country into 12 states and appointed administrators for each of them. He continued to make further changes including setting up departments for land, music, farming, rites and works. Shun many contributions include drafting the five rules of etiquette for the dukes and princes to follow.

With the end of the reign of the Five Legendary Kings comes the Xia Dynasty founded by Yu. Yu most important contribution was for controlling the floods that caused a lot of problem for his people.