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.
炎黄二帝
炎黄二帝是传说中的中国上古帝王炎帝神农氏和黄帝轩辕氏。炎帝是原居姜水流域（今陕西省宝鸡市境内）的部落首领，主要从事农业。黄帝所率领的部落原来过着迁徙无常的游牧生活，后来逐渐在中原地区（今河南省境内）定居下来。在诸多中国史书及神话记载中，华夏文化和中华民族起源于黄河流域的这两个部落，故炎黄二帝被人们称为中华民族的始祖，“炎黄子孙”也就成了中华民族的一个代名词。
炎帝和黄帝对中华民族的生存繁衍和历史人文发展作出了重要贡献。炎帝创造了灿烂的农耕文化，解决了“民以食为天”的大事。农业方面，他驯谷物作为作物品种，发明农具，记录掌握农时，加速原始采集狩猎过渡到种植业；医学方面，他亲尝百草，用草药治病；贸易方面，他促进了原始产品交换的萌芽。黄帝在位期间，治理有方，政治安定，文化制度得到发展。他制定国家的职官制度，创造并实行田亩制，开辟园圃，种植果蔬，种桑养蚕，以蚕丝制衣服；他令仓颉造字，推动文字兴盛。
2007年4月，炎黄二帝巨型塑像在河南省郑州市黄河风景名胜区建成。黄帝故里位于河南省新郑市，是海内外炎黄子孙寻根拜祖的圣地。每年农历三月初三，拜祖大典都会在新郑盛大举办，为传承中华优秀传统文化、增进文化认同、增强民族凝聚力发挥了重要作用。
