Person

Shun (emperor)

Also known as Emperor Shun, Yu Shun

Shun is a legendary sage-king of early China, said to have been chosen by Emperor Yao for his virtue and filial piety and to have passed the throne to Yu the Great. Confucian tradition held him up as a model ruler. The rulers of the Zhou state of Chen claimed descent from him.

Shun (emperor)
Image: mural painting from Han dynasty · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

State of Chen

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Shun (emperor). In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shun-emperor
MLA
“Shun (emperor).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shun-emperor. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Shun (emperor).” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shun-emperor.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Shun (emperor)’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/shun-emperor (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻