The Han Dynasty, which flourished from 206 BCE to 220 CE in ancient China, represented a golden age of Chinese history, by consolidation, expansion, and enduring cultural achievements. Instituting Confucianism as the official state philosophy, the Han fostered a civil service system that officials based on merit rather than birthright—a radical departure from previous aristocratic norms. This was defined by innovations such as papermaking, which revolutionized record-keeping and literacy, and the codification of traditional medicinal practices. The Silk Road, an elaborate network of trade routes during this period, opened China to cultural exchanges and commerce with the Mediterranean world. Venerated for stabilizing the internal order and external borders, the Han Dynasty’s governance provided a model for future Chinese rulers. This prospering period in East Asian history is still considered a benchmark for Chinese civilization, with the ethnic majority of China today to themselves as the ‘Han people.’