[1] Today, they are considered culture heroes,[2] but they were widely worshipped as divine "ancestral spirits" in ancient times.

[7] In this period the abdication system was used before Qi of Xia violently seized power and established a hereditary monarchy.

[8] Taoist beliefs consisted of parables involving shamanistic themes, as were most ancient stories about the Sovereigns Fuxi, Nüwa, and Shennong.

[12] The Three Sovereigns are ascribed various identities in different historical texts, as shown in the table below: The Five Emperors were traditionally thought to have invented "fire, writing and irrigation".

[13] Like the Three Sovereigns, they are ascribed different identities depending on historical source, as shown in the table below: There is the legend of the Four Clans (四氏) who took part in creating the world, Youchao-shi (有巢氏), Suiren-shi (燧人氏), Fu Xi-shi (伏羲氏), and Shennong-shi (神農氏).