China has a history longer than that of any other present-day nation, containing a plethora of myths and legends. Regarded as the "Chinese Adam" by Westerners, the first figure in China's history was named Pangu.

According to legend, in the beginning, there was only darkness and chaos, and the sky and earth were one blurred entity. This vast "egg," as the Chinese call it, was subjected to two opposing forces or principles. The interaction between the two forces 　 the yin (passive or negative female principle) and yang (active or positive male principle) 　 gave birth to Pangu, causing the egg's shell to crack.

Pangu has been depicted in many ways. He sometimes appears as a dwarf with two horns on his head, clothed in skins or leaves, and holding a hammer in one hand and a chisel in the other or the symbol of the yin and yang . Pang has also been portrayed holding the sun in one hand and the moon in the other. He is often accompanied by his companions, the four supernatural animals: the phoenix, dragon, unicorn and tortoise.

The separation of the sky and earth took 18,000 years to complete: the yang, which was light and pure, rose to become the sky; the yin , which was heavy and murky, sank to form the earth. Between the sky and earth was Pangu, who underwent nine changes every day: His wisdom greater than that of the sky and his ability greater than that of the earth. Every day the sky rose ten feet, the earth became ten feet thicker and Pangu grew ten feet taller. Another 18,000 years passed and the sky was very high; the earth, dense and Pangu, extremely tall. His body then dissolved and his head became the mountains; his breath, the wind and clouds; his voice, the thunder; his left eye, the sun and his right eye, the moon. Pangu's beard became the stars; his four limbs, the four quadrants of the globe; his blood, the rivers and his veins and muscles, the layers of the earth. His flesh became the soil; his skin and hair, the trees and plants; his semen, pearls; his marrow, precious stones and his sweat turned into rain. All in all, Pangu and the universe became one.

The yin and yang gave birth to the Heavenly Emperors that gave way to the Earthly Emperors -- the ancestors of Chinese rulers. The most important ones were the three legendary rulers and five emperors.