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Han Chinese
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A woman and man model traditional Han Chinese clothing on a runway, the woman in a red robe with ornate floral headpiece, the man in a blue robe with an elaborate black and red hat. Principal sites of prehistoric and Shang China Oracle bone script Shang dynasty oracle bone Dan, the duke of Zhou Confucius and Laozi Historic book-burner Qin Shi Huang Map showing the Han Empire's territory around 100 BCE, shaded in orange, covering much of eastern China and extending westward. The map also marks the boundary of modern China and highlights the Great Wall running along the northern frontier, built for protection against the Huns. Major rivers and the capital, Chang'an (Xi'an), are labeled. Map of China showing the regional distribution of Sinitic language groups. Most of northern and western China is shaded orange for Mandarin dialects, while southern and southeastern provinces display other dialect groups: Gan (blue), Hakka (aqua), Min (purple), Wu (green), Xiang (red), and Yue (pink). Non-Sinitic language areas and uninhabited regions are marked in white. Major provinces and cities are labeled for reference.
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A woman and man model traditional Han Chinese clothing on a runway, the woman in a red robe with ornate floral headpiece, the man in a blue robe with an elaborate black and red hat.
Chinese man and woman wearing hanfu A Chinese man and woman in traditional Chinese clothing, or hanfu.

Han Chinese

ethnic group
Also known as: Han, Han-jen
Written by
Ethan Teekah
Ethan Teekah is an Associate Editor at Encyclopædia Britannica, where he leads coverage of Asia.
Ethan Teekah
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group and the world’s largest ethnic group, with more than 1.4 billion members. They comprise the majority populations of China, Taiwan, and Singapore and also maintain minority communities around the world. The Han Chinese originated in the central plains of northern China, particularly the basin of the middle and lower Yellow River. Over time they gradually expanded southward, shaping what is known today as inner China, or China proper. Han...

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