Chinese Kings of the Paleolithic and Neolithic Era
Paleolithic and Neolithic, also named Mythical History, including the history of China before the Xia Dynasty (2070 BC — 1600 BC).
Some Legendary Ancient Sages led people, fought against nature, and made it a better place through their diligence, strong will, and exceptional courage.
Unlike Faithful History that was directly documented in characters by historians of that time, such as Oracle Inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC — 1046 BC), stories of those exceptional kings of Paleolithic and Neolithic could be found in mythical legends and later records.
You Chao — Creator of House
You Chao, also named Da Chao, was a king of the Paleolithic period when primitive humans lived in caves and hunted for food.
When You Chao was young, he used branches and wood to make nests on trees so that people could be protected from rain, wind, cold, and wild animals.
Reduction Model of Treehouse of Hemudu Culture (5000 BC — 3300 BC), Believed the Descendents of the Kingdom You Chao.
Afterward, more people learned the skill and lived in treehouses; they then developed as a big clan.
As expected, You Chao was elected as the King, and his clan was named the Kingdom of You Chao, or the Kingdom of Chao.
Bronze Ceremonial Food Container (Ban Gui) of Western Zhou Dynasty (1046 BC — 771 BC), Inscriptions Inside Records the Duke Mao Defeating and Ruling of the Kingdom of Chao — Capital Museum
Sui Ren — The Ancestor of Fire
Over tens of thousands of years ago, China was sporadically inhabited by some primitive humans. They hunted in the forests and ate raw food.
Then the mysterious Sui Ren showed up; in some other records, he was the son of You Chao.
Unlike others who feared thunder and burning, Sui Ren found fire could warm him and make the meat taste better.
After that, he started searching for burnt food and means to keep the natural fire as long as possible.
Soon, inspired by sparks from birds pecking trees, he made fire by drilling wood.
From then on, primitive humans could eat cooked food and stay warm on cold days. Sui Ren opened up a brand new chapter in the history of China.
With much better food and longer life spans, his clan, the Kingdom of Sui Ming, kept developing.
Sui Ren also taught primitive humans how to keep records by tying knots on different colors of strings.
Then he stayed at the peak of the mountains to observe nature and named lots of stars, mountains, rivers, seas, and animals; for the first time, he separated humans from animals and drew a clear boundary between them.
The remarkable contribution of Sui Ren helped primitive humans be well prepared to step into a better and more civilized world.
Painted Pottery Basin with Human and Fish Patterns of Yangshao Culture (Around 5000 BC — 3000 BC), Believed the Same Time of King Sui Ren — National Museum of China (Photo by Dongmaiying)
Lady Fu Bao — Magical Pregnancy and the Mother of Exceptional Legendary Ancient Sages
Fu Bao was a princess of a clan named Youjiao; in other versions, she was the daughter of King Sui Ren.
After she grew up, Fu Bao married Shao Dian, the King of the Youxiong Clan. King Shao Dian was believed to be the son of Deity Nv Wa and Fu Xi.
One day, when Fu Bao was sightseeing in a beautiful place, a dragon suddenly appeared and flew around her for a while. Later she found she was pregnant and gave birth to a special baby boy.
This boy had a human face and two horns; he could talk and walk within a week after his birth.
When he was five years old, he could plant plenty of crops. This intelligent boy was the Flame Emperor (Yan Di).
Years later, Fu Bao and her husband were promenading in the evening when they encountered a big thunder.
A streak of shining light circled the Big Dipper and rushed toward them; later, this light melted into Fu Bao’s belly.
After 25 months of pregnancy, another brilliant baby boy came into the world.
He was super intelligent and handsome and could talk immediately after birth; his toes looked like the dragon’s, and his head could rotate 360 degrees. This magical boy was the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di).
Fu Bao’s two mysteriously born boys became kings of two powerful clans in the history of China; their tribes are widely respected as the origin of Chinese culture.
Till now, Chinese people still claim themselves the descendants of Yan and Huang.
Next Story: Brilliant Sovereign and Inventor of Agriculture — Flame Emperor
You Might Also Like:
Neolithic Era — Primitive Society and Mythical History
Culture Hero and Founder of Country in Chinese History — Yellow Emperor
The Incarnation of Red Dragon and Inventor of Abdication System — King Yao
Moral Model of Confucianism — King Shun
Defender of Huge Flood and Founder of the First Dynasty in China — Yu The Great
Noteworthy Kings of the Xia Dynasty
Famous, Influential Figures in the History of China
Brief, Comprehensive Introduction to Chinese History
Ancient Creation Myth and Chinese Gods
Timeline of Ancient Chinese History