China is among the world's oldest civilizations and home to many of the earliest achievements in the history of humankind. Until the beginning of the twentieth century, the Chinese emperor ruled by Heavenly Mandate as the divinely appointed Son of Heaven, intermediary between the world of gods and mortals—Heaven and Earth—in an unbroken dynastic tradition some 4,000 years old. The origins of China's imperial rulers lie in a time when the worlds of men and gods were closer than they are now. Chinese mythology relates these origins and those of China, together with the many gifts given to its people by the gods. It was these rich stories which subsequently inspired and shaped the three major religions found in China today.