Does the Daodejing Contain the Oldest Creation Myth of China?

An introductory article on Chinese mythology asserts (twice) that the myth of the creation of Huangdi (the Yellow Emperor) should be considered one of China’s creation myths, following the model of «creation by a supreme being.» Since reading it, I’ve been mulling over the issue, and I believe I couldn’t disagree more. As I will show throughout this post, the story of the origin of the universe from the Dao, as presented in the Daodejing attributed to Laozi, can be understood as the oldest and most profound creation myth of Chinese civilization. Its symbolism reflects cosmic structures much older than the written texts themselves—structures linked to archaic shamanism, cardinal direction rituals, and conceptions of the world as an intermediate space between heaven and earth.

Refuting the Myth of Huangdi’s Creation

The myth of Huangdi’s creation states that he was born as a product of the mating of a dragon (or another celestial being) with a woman. In fact, the idea that Huangdi (黄帝) is the creator of the universe or of cosmic order is a relatively modern interpretation, influenced by later developments in religious Daoism. Ancient texts portray him more as 1. A cultural hero, not a creator god. 2. A political and mythical figure who establishes institutions. 3. Part of a mythical genealogy that predates him. His role is not that of a creator god but rather as a political leader who brings a new organization to the world—a complex, stratified society that contrasts with the natural society that preceded him, the time of Shennong.

Furthermore, if we stick to ancient sources, Shennong (神农) and other figures such as Fuxi (伏羲), Nuwa (女娲), Suiren (燧人), or even the so-called Three Emperors (三皇), appear chronologically before Huangdi and are more linked to the formation of cosmic and cultural order. These figures could be seen as creators of a world that existed before Huangdi. However, they are also not presented as creators of the world in ancient texts:

• Shennong is presented as a cultural hero who provides knowledge of agriculture and medicine. He is not a creator god in the strict sense but rather a transformer of the natural world, giving it practical meaning for humans, like an ideal ruler in harmony with the Dao.
• Since the early Han period, Fuxi and Nuwa were seen as creators of humanity. However, in reality, Fuxi is another civilizing hero who invented the trigrams of the Yi (changes), the first writing, established marriage, taught hunting, and so on. Nuwa, meanwhile, created humans from clay (similar to other creation myths) and repairs the cosmic order after a catastrophe, but she does not create the world.

Other figures before Huangdi are vaguely described, and ancient texts do not provide any source to consider them as creators of the world. The famous myth of Pangu (盘古), the gigantic primordial being who dies after separating heaven and earth, does not appear until the 3rd century, so it can also be discarded.

The Myth of the Dao: The Oldest Vision of Origin

In contrast to all the above, the Daodejing offers an abstract yet profound vision of the origin of the universe (Chapter 42): “道生一，一生二，二生三，三生万物。”
(«The Dao gives birth to the One, the One gives birth to the Two, the Two gives birth to the Three, and the Three gives birth to the ten thousand things.»)
This phrase not only describes a multiple emergence from the One, but it also reflects a tripartite cosmic structure. Additionally, the Dao is presented as the absolute origin, beyond name, time, and space.
“无名天地之始，有名万物之母。”
(«The nameless is the beginning of heaven and earth; the named is the mother of the ten thousand things.») – Daodejing, Chapter 1.

If we look at older sources, the closest thing to a creation myth in the Book of Songs is the poem narrating the miraculous birth of Houji (后稷), ancestor of the Zhou people and the founder of agriculture among them.
“She stepped on the footprint of Di (帝), and felt joy; there she stopped, and there she rested. She became pregnant, and from then until the birth, Hou Ji was born.»
This story has strong symbolic content. Hou Ji’s mother becomes pregnant after stepping on Di’s footprint, which seems to suggest a semi-divine conception. Furthermore, this story is related to current myths of China’s minorities, such as one of the Dai people, which attributes the conception of the Elephant Maiden to the moment when her mother steps on a footprint of this animal.

Disregarding these earlier motifs, we find that the phrase from Laozi is the oldest Chinese cosmogony. Some authors reject it because it is too brief to fit the definitions of myth and regard it as purely philosophical. I believe that if we take the term in a broader sense—a symbolic vision of the origin of cosmic order—this text can be considered the first coherent «origin story» of Chinese thought.

The Daoist creation narrative is considered a myth when it is part of the mythologies of the minorities. Many of them begin by narrating «when heaven and earth had not yet separated» and attribute that separation, the creation of the world, to the condensation of heavy materials below and light ones above.

Without older texts on which to base this research, we can look to the clues left by archaeology. In fact, the archaeological discoveries of recent decades are so abundant and the materials gathered so numerous that their study can lead to different conclusions. Here, we will point out some motifs that reinforce our idea.

• The Yangshao Culture, c. 5000–3000 BCE, is one of the most important Neolithic cultures in northern China. They are known for their vessels decorated with anthropomorphic and geometric motifs, including scenes of dancing figures in a circle, which could reflect a vision of cosmic order, where humanity actively participates in maintaining it through rituals, dances, or sacrifices—an idea also present in many shamanic and agrarian religions.
• In Shimao, which flourished around 2500 BCE, sculptures of eyes carved in stone have been found, possibly representing a deity or watchful force. Walls oriented according to cardinal points suggest astronomical knowledge, and ritual burials imply complex religious practices and possibly a social hierarchy with religious functions.
• In Taosi, c. 2300–2000 BCE, one of the earliest known solar observatories in China was discovered. A system of vertical posts allowed for the observation of the sunrise on specific days of the year—a true primitive solar calendar. This finding shows that even in such remote times, in China there was an idea of of time and space as part of a cosmic order, possibly regulated by divine entities or natural forces.
• Finally, in Xishuipo (西水坡), Henan Province, a shaman was discovered buried between a dragon and a tiger, dating between 4500 and 4000 BCE. This crucial discovery links shamanism, astronomy, and cosmic symbolism.

If we combine all these elements, we find that the shaman, during his shamanic journeys, travels between the heavens and the underworld. The shamanic vision divides the world into three levels: upper, middle, and lower. The post (as in Taosi) serves to observe the stars but is also the communication link between heaven and earth (which is why animals to be sacrificed are tied to a post, so they may go to heaven to intercede on behalf of the people). The world the shaman speaks of is the three (created between the one and the two), which aligns with Daoist ideas, often linked to shamans. This shamanic structure of the cosmos is deeply embedded in Daoist philosophy, though disguised under metaphysical language.

In this light, the Daodejing’s phrase, Chapter 42: («The Dao gives birth to the One, the One gives birth to the Two, the Two gives birth to the Three, and the Three gives birth to the ten thousand things.») can be seen as a cosmological description:

• One (一): the undifferentiated origin, the full void, the Dao.
• Two (二): the emergence of fundamental opposites—Yin and Yang, heaven and earth.
• Three (三): the intermediate space. The world. And as such, it is present in later Chinese ideas, such as the interpretation of the character Wang (王) – king, as a central axis passing through three horizontal levels. This structure is interpreted as: («The king is the one who understands the Way of Heaven, Earth, and Man.») – Shuowen Jiezi.

Conclusion: The Dao as a Distinct yet Profound Creation Myth

Although the Daodejing may not be a narrative myth in the Western sense, it serves similar functions to other creation myths: it explains the emergence of the world, defines cosmic relationships, and establishes a symbolic hierarchy. Moreover, it is the first known text in China that articulates an abstract cosmological model. Its structure reflects older ideas passed down orally and embodied in shamanic rituals.

For all the reasons outlined, I believe there is ample evidence to completely dismiss the idea that the myth of Huangdi’s creation can be identified as the creation myth of China. On the contrary, there are enough clues to suggest that the brief description of the origin of the world in the Laozi fits perfectly into the shamanic tradition indicated by archaeological discoveries. As an ancient idea, it is found, with more or less modifications, in the mythologies of many of China’s minorities.