China : The Five Mythical Emperors (Wudi) 五帝

The Five Mythical Emperors (Wudi) 五帝

Before Xia Dynasty's time, the title of emperor was passed to the next person considered by the community to have the highest virtue, instead from father to son.

Temple Name	surname	Personal name		Reign		Residence	Notes
Huáng Dì (黄帝) the Yellow Emperor	Xuan Yuan 軒轅氏			2696	2598	Youxiong 有熊	The legend of his retreat to west in the war against the eastern Emperor Chī Yóu at the Battle of Zhuōlù (涿鹿) is seen as the establishment of the Han Chinese nationality.
Zuo Che interregnum
帝摯 (Jin Tian)	Shao Hao (少昊)			2598	2514	Xifang 西方	Shaohao (少昊) is the son of the Yellow Emperor Huang Di, Shaohao is the leader of the Yi people, where he shifted their capital to Shandong Qufu. Ruling for eighty-four years, he is succeeded by his nephew Zhuanxu.
Zhuanxu (顓頊)	Gaoyang (高陽)		2534	2514	2437	Pu 濮	he is a grandson of the Yellow Emperor, Zhuanxu led the Shi clan in a eastward migration to present-day Shandong, where inter-marriages with the Dongyi clan enlarged and augmented their tribal influences. At age twenty, he became their sovereign, going on to rule for seventy-eight years until his death.
Emperor Ku (嚳)	Gaoxin 高辛氏			2436	2367	Bo 亳	(r. 63 years)
Di Zhi (Ji Gao Xin)				2366	2357
Emperor Yao (堯)	Tang Yao (唐堯) Yaotang-shi (陶唐氏)	Yi Fangxun (伊放勳) Yi Qi (伊祈)	2377	2357	2258	Ji 冀	He was known as the second son to Emperor Ku and Qingdu (慶都). According to legend, Yao became the ruler at 20 and died at 119 when he passed his throne in favor of the Great Shun, whom he gave his two daughters in marriage to.
Great Shun (大舜) Emperor Shun (舜)	Yu Shun (虞舜) Youyu-shi (有虞氏)	Yao Chonghua (姚重華)	2311	2258	2211	Ji 冀	He was given the leadership by Emperor Yao at 53 and died at 100, after giving his seat to Yu the Great.

Sources :

http://www.chinaknowledge.de/History/Myth/wudi-rulers.html

http://www.hostkingdom.net/china.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Three_August_Ones_and_the_Five_Emperors