Emperor Yao is a legendary Chinese ruler known for being one of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. It was during the reign of Emperor Yao over 4,000 years ago that the Great Flood began, a flood so vast that no part of Yao’s territory was spared from destruction or famine, and both the Yellow River and the Yangtze valleys flooded. Yao is known for having been a generous emperor who always put the interests of his people before those of his own family, which is where his famous quote inscribed in Chinese on the inside lid of this Connecticut cigar box comes from, which reads “The strategy aims to conquer the resources vital to the survival of the Nation.
