Zhoukou, Henan, and Yanhu District in Yuncheng, Shanxi. The Yan Emperor, retreating from a recent invasion from the forces of Chiyou, came into territorial conflict with its neighbouring Youxiong tribes, led by the Yellow Emperor. The Yan Emperor was defeated after three successive battles and surrendered to the Yellow Emperor, who assumed the title of overlord () and agreed to merge the two tribes into a new confederation — the Yanhuang tribe. Under the Yellow Emperor's leadership, the newly combined tribes then went to war and defeated Chiyou in the Battle of Zhuolu, and established their cultural and political dominance in China proper. Historicity Since the Battle of Banquan is treated as a historical fact by Sima Qian in his Records of the Grand Historian, it would appear that this is a pivotal transition point between mythology and history. Ironically, Yan Emperor enters history only with his submission to the will of the Yellow Emperor. In any case, the title of flame emperor apparently lapsed after this time, while his tribe's descendants were said to be perpetuated through intermarriage with that of the Yellow Emperor, and Han Chinese throughout history have referred themselves as the "Descendants of Yan and Huang". In traditional culture Both Huangdi and Yandi are considered in some sense ancestral to Chinese culture and people. Also, the tradition of associating a certain color with a particular dynasty may have begun with the Flame Emperors. According to the Five Elements, or Wu Xing model, red, fire, should be succeeded by yellow, earth—or Yandi by Huangdi. According to the records of ancient history books such as The "Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư", the earliest monarch of Vietnam, Hồng Bàng, was a descendant of Emperor Yan. Because of it, all the ancient Vietnamese dynasties regarded Emperor Yan as their common ancestor. List of Flame Emperors This is the most common list given by Huangfu Mi, Xu Zheng, and Sima Zhen: List provided at the end of the Shan Hai Jing: See also Descendants of Yan & Huang Emperors Emperors Yan and Huang (monument) Huaxia Shennong Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors Yao Grass Yellow Emperor Zhonghua Minzu References Citations Sources Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors Yan Emperor