Yandi and Huangdi

Yandi (Yan Emperor) and Huangdi (Yellow Emperor) are two legendary rulers in remote antiquity. Yandi, also known as Shennong, was the leader of a tribe farming in the Jiangshui River basin (in present-day Baoji, Shaanxi Province) before migrating to the Central Plains. Huangdi, also known as Xuanyuan, and his tribe first lived a nomadic life, and later they moved to the Central Plains region (present-day Henan Province) and settled there. According to numerous Chinese history books and myths, these two tribes living in the Yellow River basin are the very roots of the Huaxia culture and the Chinese nation, and Yandi and Huangdi are therefore believed to be the earliest ancestors of the Chinese people, who often call themselves "descendants of Yandi and Huangdi," a proud synonym for the entire Chinese nation.

Yandi and Huangdi are said to have made significant contributions to the survival, continuation, and historical and cultural development of the Chinese nation.

Yandi created a brilliant farming culture and thus met the basic need for food of his people. In agriculture, he domesticated wild plants, invented farm tools, recorded the timing for different farming activities, and pushed forward the transition from hunting and gathering to crop planting. In medicine, he tasted all kinds of herbs and used herbal medicines to treat diseases. In trade, he initiated the primitive form of bartering.

Huangdi achieved political stability and cultural progress during his reign. He instituted the system of officials, invented methods for measuring and distributing the fields to prevent disputes, and led his tribesmen in opening up wasteland to plant vegetables and fruits, grow mulberry and raise silkworms, and use the silk to make clothes. He also asked Cangjie to create a writing system and promoted its use.

In April 2007, huge sculptures of Yandi and Huangdi were erected at the Yellow River Scenic Area in Zhengzhou, capital city of Henan Province. Xinzheng, the birthplace of Huangdi, is a holy place in the hearts of the Chinese people all over the world. The grand ancestor-worshipping ceremony held here on the third day of the third month in the lunar calendar every year plays an irreplaceable role in carrying forward the fine traditional Chinese culture, forging a shared cultural identity, and enhancing national cohesion.

炎黃二帝

炎黃二帝是傳說中的中國上古帝王炎帝神農(nóng)氏和黃帝軒轅氏。炎帝是原居姜水流域（今陜西省寶雞市境內(nèi)）的部落首領，主要從事農(nóng)業(yè)。黃帝所率領的部落原來過著遷徙無常的游牧生活，后來逐漸在中原地區(qū)（今河南省境內(nèi)）定居下來。在諸多中國史書及神話記載中，華夏文化和中華民族起源于黃河流域的這兩個部落，故炎黃二帝被人們稱為中華民族的始祖，“炎黃子孫”也就成了中華民族的一個代名詞。

炎帝和黃帝對中華民族的生存繁衍和歷史人文發(fā)展作出了重要貢獻。炎帝創(chuàng)造了燦爛的農(nóng)耕文化，解決了“民以食為天”的大事。農(nóng)業(yè)方面，他馴谷物作為作物品種，發(fā)明農(nóng)具，記錄掌握農(nóng)時，加速原始采集狩獵過渡到種植業(yè)；醫(yī)學方面，他親嘗百草，用草藥治??；貿(mào)易方面，他促進了原始產(chǎn)品交換的萌芽。黃帝在位期間，治理有方，政治安定，文化制度得到發(fā)展。他制定國家的職官制度，創(chuàng)造并實行田畝制，開辟園圃，種植果蔬，種桑養(yǎng)蠶，以蠶絲制衣服；他令倉頡造字，推動文字興盛。

2007年4月，炎黃二帝巨型塑像在河南省鄭州市黃河風景名勝區(qū)建成。黃帝故里位于河南省新鄭市，是海內(nèi)外炎黃子孫尋根拜祖的圣地。每年農(nóng)歷三月初三，拜祖大典都會在新鄭盛大舉辦，為傳承中華優(yōu)秀傳統(tǒng)文化、增進文化認同、增強民族凝聚力發(fā)揮了重要作用。