The
Yellow Emperor or , formerly
romanized as
Huang-ti and
Hwang-ti, is one of the legendary
Chinese sovereigns and
culture heroes included among the
Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Tradition holds that Huangdi reigned from 2697 to 2597 or 2698 to 2598 BC. Huangdi's cult was particularly prominent in the late
Warring States and early
Han period, when he was portrayed as the originator of the centralized state, a cosmic ruler, and a patron of esoteric arts. Traditionally credited with numerous inventions and innovations, the Yellow Emperor is now regarded as the initiator of Chinese civilization, and said to be the ancestor of all
Huaxia Chinese.