Son of Heaven
Son of Heaven is a term used to refer to Emperors of China, Japan and Vietnam within a certain time period. In China, it relates to Emperors who reigned between the founding of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BCE and the fall of Yuan Shikai’s Empire in 1916, a total of 557 Emperors. Emperors from the same family are usually described as a dynasty. The Emperor is still apparent as a figurehead in modern Japan, although his role is symbolic, and he is called the Tenno which means ‘heavenly sovereign’ in Japanese. The Imperial House of Japan is the longest reigning monarchy in the world. Vietnamese monarchs, called kings or Emperors, are also sometimes referred to as Sons of Heaven.
