Yao

Emperor Yao

Sage ruler who set the calendar and abdicated to the worthy Shun, model of virtuous governance.

Emperor Yao, the Lord of Tang, is the model sage ruler of Chinese antiquity. He appointed officers to observe the stars and set the calendar, consulted the four mountains on state affairs, and refused to give the throne to his own son. After testing Shun for decades, he abdicated to him — the founding story of rule by virtue rather than by blood.