The Yellow Emperor was said to have unsuccessfully engaged in war nine times with the eastern Emperor Chi You. He later built a temple on the Heavenly Peak, offered sacrifices to heaven, and finally won the war and united all the tribes. The emperor's westward retreat in the war against Chi You at the Battle of Zhuolu is seen as the establishment of the Han Chinese nationality.

After uniting the country successfully, the Yellow Emperor continued to offer sacrifices to heaven on the 15th day of the eighth month in lunar calendar. This pioneered the sacrifices to heaven at the Heavenly Peak of Wangwu Mountains by emperors of later dynasties. The Temple of Heaven in Beijing, built in 1420 by emperors of the Ming Dynasty , is said to be inspired by the Heavenly Peak.

Even today, performances recreating the sacrificial ceremony are held daily, although some scholars believed the existence of the Yellow Emperor, who legendarily reigned ancient China from 2697 B.C. to 2597 B.C., is questionable or even apocryphal.

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