THE GODS OF CHINA.

Human activity in China dates back 4 to 5 million years, and evidence has been found of earlier  human activity living some 1 million years ago. The remains found South West of Beijing in 1927, date from around 400,000 years ago. Some 7,000 ancient sites, some as old as 9,000 BC, have been found in North China, at the Yangzi River Valley, and South East coastal areas. They include an agricultural village in Shaanxi Province dating from around 4,500 to 3,750 BC, which had a deep, wide trench dug around the town to prevent invasion. They also had evidence of wood-framed, mud and straw houses, colored pottery, slash and burn farming, and burial sites in nearby cemeteries.
As described in its mythology, Cninese civilization begins with the Creator of the Universe, Pangu, and a succession of the legendary sage-emperors, and other culture heroes who taught the people how to communicate, and, how to find livelihood, clothing, and shelter.
The Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors ruled between about 2,852 and 2,070 BC, before the time of Xia Dynasty. They were legendary, morally perfect sage-kings.
The Three Sovereigns, also called the Three August Ones, were the rulers of Sky, Earth, and Humans.
The Sky Sovereign had 12 heads, and ruled for 18,000 years. He also had 12 sons who helped him rule the World. They divided humanity into different tribes, to keep them organized.
The Earth Sovereign had 11 heads, and also lived for 18,000 years. He caused the sun and moon to move in their proper orbit. He was the king of fire, and also created several famous Chinese Mountains.
The Human Sovereign had only 7 heads, but he had the longest life span of all the Three Sovereigns -45,000 years. His whole dynasty lasted that long, rather than just his own life. He drove a chariot made of clouds, and coughed the first rice from his mouth.
The Five Emperors, according to Sima Qian, the court astrologer and scribe, the Five Emperors were: the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu, Ku Emperor, Yao Emperor, and Shun.
The Yellow Emperor, also known as Huangdi, ruled for 100 years. He is considered the originator of Chinese civilization. He was a deity that was later transformed into a human ruler.
The 2nd of the Five Emperors was the Yellow Emperor's grandson, Zhuanxu, who ruled for 78 years. During that time, he changed China's matriarchal culture to patriarchy, created a calendar, composed the first piece of music, which was called "the answer to the clouds."
The 3rd, Emperor Ku, or the White Emperor, was the great-grandson of the Yellow Emperor. He ruled for 70 years. He liked to travel by dragon-back, and invented the first musical instruments.
The 4th, Emperor Yao, is viewed as the wisest sage-king and a paragon of moral perfection. He and the  5th, Shun the Great,represented the historical figures symbolizing folk memories of early and powerful warlords from the era just before the Xia Period.
The Song of Chu identifies the Five Emperors as directional gods: East, North, Center, West, South.
At the point of dead, they were succeeded by their children of their own tribe, but not as the ruler of the whole union.