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==Mythological period==

==Mythological period==

Traditional history begins with Pangu, the first living being. When he died, his left eye became the Sun. Various parts of his body became different parts of the Earth. There follow a succession of Three Sovereigns, or demigod rulers. The first and best known of these is Fu Xi. After the Three Sovereigns, there were the Five Emperors. Yu the Great (c. 2200 - 2100 BC) was the last of these emperors. He rescued China from the flood by building dikes. His son succeeded him, making Yu the founder of the legendary [[Xia dynasty]].  

Traditional history begins with Pangu, the first living being. When Pangu died, his left eye became the Sun. Various parts of his body became different parts of the Earth. There followed a succession of Three Sovereigns, or demigod rulers. The first and best known of these was Fu Xi. After the Three Sovereigns, there were the Five Emperors. During the reign of Emperor Yao (c. 2356 – 2255 BC), a great and terrible flood began. The waters overtopped hills and mountains, threatening heaven itself. Yao appointed Gun to control the food. To build dikes, Gun stole soil that expanded magically from the Supreme Deity. This angered the Supreme Deity, and the flood raged on. Yao consulted the Four Mountains, who advised him to appoint Shun as his successor. Shun (r. 2255 – 2195 BC) was only a distant relative of Yao, but he was known throughout the kingdom as a dutiful son. Shun's father had repeated tried to murder him, so being a dutiful son was not as easy as it might sound. Shun was later singled out by [[Confucius]] as an example of outstanding filial piety. Yet he too proved helpless before the flood. Shun's successor, Yu the Great (c. 2200 - 2100 BC), was finally able to control the raging waters by building embankments made of non-magical soil. Yu's son succeeded him, making Yu the founder of the legendary [[Xia dynasty]] (2070 – c. 1600 BC).

==Dynastic period==

==Dynastic period==