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Yellow Emperor, a MythSource painting
Chinese

Yellow Emperor

01Identity

Yellow Emperor in Chinese tradition

On the Plain of Jizhou, the Yellow Thearch ordered Winged-Dragon to attack Chiyou. Winged-Dragon gathered water, but Chiyou called on the Lord of the Wind and the Master of Rain to release a great storm. The Yellow Thearch then sent his divine daughter, Ba, and the rain stopped. Chiyou was killed afterwards. A separate account described Huangdi’s famous battle with Chiyou. In that fight, Chiyou led mythical animals and used fog to confuse Huangdi’s army. Huangdi’s soldiers blew horns that sounded like dragons to frighten the animals away. Another version said that Huangdi invented the compass and guided his troops to safety. Other evidence said that Yinglong, a rare winged dragon, helped the mythical Huangdi defeat Chiyou in a struggle for control of China. These accounts portrayed Huangdi as a military leader who overcame Chiyou with help from his daughter and Winged-Dragon.

  • He was portrayed as a mythical figure. (Chinese Mythology)
  • He was portrayed as a victorious military leader who defeated Chiyou. (Chinese Mythology)
Top questions

The quick answers

02Family

Yellow Emperor’s family, at a glance

ShaodianFubao
Yellow EmperorYandi

with Feng Leishi, Leizu, Momu, Nüjie, Tongyushi

ChangyiNubaShaohao
03The names

The names Yellow Emperor answers to

Huangdi

Name used for the Yellow Emperor

SourceChinese Mythology

Yellow Thearch

Title used for Huangdi

SourceA Chinese Bestiary (2002)

04The myths

The myths of Yellow Emperor

1 myth, with sources recorded for each.

The Defeat of Chi You

Chiyou made weapons and went to war against the Yellow Emperor. Huangdi ordered Winged-Dragon to attack him on the Plain of Jizhou. Winged-Dragon gathered water for the battle. Chiyou then called on the Lord of the Wind and the Master of Rain to release a great storm.

The storm disrupted Huangdi’s forces. Huangdi sent his divine daughter Ba, also called Drought-Fury. She brought the rain to an end. After this, Chiyou was killed.

Other accounts described further dangers during the fight. Chiyou used fog to confuse Huangdi’s army. Huangdi created a compass and used it to lead his soldiers out of the fog and towards safety. In another version, Chiyou led mythical animals against the emperor. Huangdi’s soldiers blew horns that sounded like dragons, and the noise drove the animals away.

Winged-Dragon played a major part in the battle in several traditions. He helped Huangdi defeat Chiyou in the struggle for control of China. One account said that Winged-Dragon killed Chiyou on Huangdi’s orders. Another said that Huangdi himself defeated and killed Chiyou after overcoming his attacks, his flight and his use of fog.

After the battle, Ba could not return to heaven. Wherever she stayed, rain failed to fall. Winged-Dragon also could not return to his mountain after killing Chiyou, and droughts spread across the earth. These events followed the defeat of Chiyou and formed part of the battle’s aftermath.

The Defeat of Chi You, a MythSource painting of the scene

4 sources· checked 2026-09-02

  1. 1A Chinese Bestiary (2002)T1
  2. 2A Chinese Bestiary (2002)T1
  3. 3Chinese MythologyT1
  4. 4Chinese MythologyT1
05Different accounts

Different accounts

›The receipts differed over who killed Chiyou. One account named Ba as the immediate cause of his death, another named Winged-Dragon, and another said that Huangdi defeated and killed him.

    The accounts that differ: A Chinese Bestiary (2002), 332. D R O U G H T - F U R Y , D A U G H T E R O F T H E Y E L -; A Chinese Bestiary (2002), P L A T E L X V I; Chinese Mythology, 58 Chinese Mythology

    From “The Defeat of Chi You”

    ›The accounts gave different battle details. One focused on a storm and Ba’s power to stop the rain. Another focused on fog, a compass and dragon-like horns used to frighten Chiyou’s allies.

      The accounts that differ: A Chinese Bestiary (2002), 332. D R O U G H T - F U R Y , D A U G H T E R O F T H E Y E L -; Chinese Mythology, 58 Chinese Mythology

      From “The Defeat of Chi You”

      ›Winged-Dragon’s role varied between helping in the battle, gathering water and directly killing Chiyou on Huangdi’s orders.

        The accounts that differ: A Chinese Bestiary (2002), 332. D R O U G H T - F U R Y , D A U G H T E R O F T H E Y E L -; A Chinese Bestiary (2002), P L A T E L X V I; Chinese Mythology, 36 Chinese Mythology

        From “The Defeat of Chi You”