The Yellow Emperor became a powerful national symbol in the last decade of the Qing dynasty ( 1644 -- 1911 ) .
The Yellow Emperor remained dominant in Chinese nationalist discourse throughout the Republican period ( 1911 -- 49 ) .
The Yellow Emperor became a powerful national symbol in the last decade of the Qing dynasty ( 1644 -- 1911 ) and remained dominant in Chinese nationalist discourse throughout the Republican period ( 1911 -- 49 ) .