Which legendary emperor is known as the Yellow Emperor?

The legendary emperor known as the Yellow Emperor is Huangdi.

Huangdi, also called the Yellow Thearch, is one of China’s legendary Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. He is remembered not only as a ruler but also as a culture hero and divine ancestor. Traditional accounts credit him with innovations such as the calendar, boats, carts, writing, and early forms of medicine, although these attributions belong to legend rather than securely documented history.

The name Huangdi does not mean that he was a historical emperor in the modern sense. Before the Qin unification, di could refer to a divine or cosmic ruler; the earthly title “emperor” became associated with huangdi after Qin Shi Huang adopted it in 221 BC. Huangdi was also linked with the center in the cosmology of the Five Phases, where yellow represents the earth element.

Huangdi is sometimes confused with Yao, Shun, or Yu, other celebrated legendary rulers. They belong to the same broad tradition, but Huangdi is specifically the figure called the Yellow Emperor. His cult and political importance became especially prominent during the Warring States period and early Han dynasty.