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Why do many Chinese people use the name Han for their ethnic identity?

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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. — Han dynasty Map showing the extent of the Han empire c. 100 bce.

Many Chinese people identify as "Han" because the Han dynasty (206 bce–220 ce) is considered a golden age in Chinese history, during which the foundations of Chinese culture, administration, and identity were firmly established.12

Following the unification of China by the preceding Qin dynasty, the Han dynasty consolidated these administrative structures and promoted a high culture that became the standard for subsequent generations. During the later period of division known as the Northern and Southern Dynasties (c. 420–589 ce), the Chinese people looked back at the Han era as a pinnacle of achievement. As a result, they began to refer to themselves as the Han, their language as Hanyu ("Han language"), their writing as Hanzi ("Han characters"), and their traditional clothing as Hanfu ("Han clothing").12

So thoroughly did the Han dynasty establish what was thereafter considered Chinese culture that the term "Han" became the standard word denoting someone who is ethnically Chinese, distinguishing them from other groups.32