China's Yellow Emperor 'killed by meteorite'

The official Chinese media have reported the discovery of a 5,000-year-old meteorite that could explain the death of the man celebrated as the mythical founder of the Chinese nation, the Yellow Emperor.

According to historical records, the Yellow Emperor Huangdi died in a cataclysmic shattering of the land - and local legends speak of nine dragons breaking up the ancient town of Huangling.

Now the China Daily reports that the remains of a meteorite found in north-western China's Shaanxi province could explain those stories.

The Yellow Emperor is said to have reigned from 2697 BC. Although his status is part-mythical, thousands of Chinese flocked to a mausoleum erected in his memory to pay their respects last Friday on annual tomb-sweeping day.

Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor invented the cart and the boat, while his wife discovered how to weave silk from silkworms.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service