Yan Huang Zisun

Yan Huang Zisun (Chinese: 炎黃子孫; lit. 'Descendants of Yan[di] and Huang[di]'), or descendants of Yan and Yellow Emperors,^[1] is a term that represents the Chinese people and refers to an ethnocultural identity based on a common ancestry associated with a mythological origin.^[2][3]

A temple dedicated to the worship of Yandi in Baoji, Shaanxi

Xuanyuan Temple, dedicated to the worship of Huangdi, in Yan'an, Shaanxi

This term is connected to Yan Emperor (炎帝, Yandi) and Yellow Emperor (黃帝, Huangdi), in which both figures are considered the legendary ancestors of the Huaxia people who themselves are ancestral to the Han people (see Yanhuang).^[4] The term most specifically refers to the Han ethnic group, as it does not include groups who do not share the legendary ancestors.^[5]

Modern usage

To this day, the Chinese still refer to themselves with this term.^[6]

The derivation of the term is mentioned as Yan Huang Shizhou (炎黃世胄) in the National Flag Anthem of the Republic of China.

Ma Ying-jeou, ex-president of the Republic of China (Taiwan), has used this term to refer to all Chinese people in the context of his view on cross-strait relations.^[7]

See also

• Emperors Yan and Huang (monument)
• Huaxia, confederation of pre-Qin peoples.
  • Yanhuang, an ancestral group around the Yellow River.