Some Chinese deities of medicine. At bottom is Sun Simiao, who sits on a tiger and holds a dragon in his left hand. Sun Simiao was born around 581 AD and died in 682 AD. He wrote two 30-volume works on medicine that would establish his place as a central figure in herbal medicine. After his death, Sun Simiao was worshipped as a Medicine God and God of Internal Medicine. At upper left is likely Baosheng Dadi (also known as Pao Sheng Ta Ti or Poh Seng Tai Tay) a Chinese god of medicine. The two identical figures at right are Shennong (or Shen Nung), also known as the Emperor of the Five Grains. He was a legendary ruler of China and is a cultural hero, one of the Three Sovereigns (also known as "Three Emperors") who lived some 5,000 years ago. Shennong is said to have taught the ancient Chinese not only their practices of agriculture, but also their use of herbal drugs.