Western Han dynasty

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Lady Dai (Xin Zhui): funerary banner

Chinese landscape scene

Western Han dynasty

Chinese history

Also known as: Former Han dynasty, Hsi Han dynasty

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July 15, 2026

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Lady Dai (Xin Zhui): funerary banner — Lady Dai (Xin Zhui): funerary banner Funerary banner from the tomb of Lady Dai (Xin Zhui), Mawangdui, Hunan province, ink and colors on silk, c. 168 bce, Western Han dynasty; in the Hunan Provincial Museum, Changsha, China.

The Western Han dynasty, also known as the Former Han, was a significant period in Chinese history, lasting from 206 BCE to 25 CE. It was founded by Liu Bang, who established a centralized government structure inspired by the preceding Qin dynasty but tempered with Confucian ideology. The capital during this period was Chang'an.123

The Han dynasty was the second great imperial dynasty of China and is notable for its longevity, lasting over 400 years with a brief interruption by Wang Mang's Xin dynasty. The Han established a merit-based bureaucracy and promoted cultural achievements, including the invention of paper and advancements in science and technology. The term "Han" itself became synonymous with ethnic Chinese identity. The dynasty's administrative structure and ideals of dynastic authority influenced subsequent Chinese empires.3124

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China
Xi (Western) Han
Since at least as early as the Shang dynasty, the Chinese had been accustomed to acknowledging the temporal and spiritual authority of a single leader and its transmission within a family, at first from brother to brother and later from father to…
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Since at least as early as the Shang dynasty, the Chinese had been accustomed to acknowledging the temporal and spiritual authority of a single leader and its transmission within a family, at first from brother to brother and later from father to…
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hsien
…of territories created by the Western Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 25), several hsien, or counties, were grouped into a larger unit called a commandery (chün), several of which were in turn grouped into a prefecture (chou) that was based in a large city. Each hsien was governed by a magistrate…
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…of territories created by the Western Han dynasty (206 bc–ad 25), several hsien, or counties, were grouped into a larger unit called a commandery (chün), several of which were in turn grouped into a prefecture (chou) that was based in a large city. Each hsien was governed by a magistrate…
Read More

Xinjiang
History of Xinjiang
…for the region under the Xi (Western) Han dynasty in 60 bce, with its headquarters at Wulei (now Luntai, in the northern Tarim Basin). Later, an extension of the Great Wall was built 300 miles (480 km) west of the present Gansu-Xinjiang border. The Han capital of Chang’an (near present-day…
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…for the region under the Xi (Western) Han dynasty in 60 bce, with its headquarters at Wulei (now Luntai, in the northern Tarim Basin). Later, an extension of the Great Wall was built 300 miles (480 km) west of the present Gansu-Xinjiang border. The Han capital of Chang’an (near present-day…
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Chinese painting
Qin (221–206 bce) and Han (206 bce–220 ce) dynasties
The Xi (Western) Han (206 bce–25 ce), with its capital at Chang’an (near modern Xi’an), reached a climax of expansive power under Wudi (ruled 141/140–87/86 bce), who established colonies in Korea and Indochina and sent expeditions into Central Asia, which made Chinese arts and crafts known abroad…
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The Xi (Western) Han (206 bce–25 ce), with its capital at Chang’an (near modern Xi’an), reached a climax of expansive power under Wudi (ruled 141/140–87/86 bce), who established colonies in Korea and Indochina and sent expeditions into Central Asia, which made Chinese arts and crafts known abroad…
Read More