Han Dynasty: Western Han 西漢 or Former Han 前漢 (206 BC- 8 AD) Wang Mang's Xin Dynasty 王莽新朝 (8-22) Eastern Han 東漢 or Later Han 後漢 (25-220) After centuries of political division, the adventurer Liu Bang 劉邦 (Han Gaozu 漢高祖) succeeded in founding a new empire, following the tradition of the former kings of Zhou 周 (11th cent. BC-221 BC ) and the Warring States 戰國 and walking in the footsteps of the First Emperor of Qin 秦始皇 (221-206 BC). But unlike the short-lived Qin empire, the Han Dynasty should last for four centuries. Fundamental changes took place during this time and helped to build up what we now call the Chinese culture. It was not only the governmental system with its huge state bureaucracy, modeled on legist models, that took more concrete shape; the second important event was the rise of Confucianism as the main state doctrine, while popular belief in Daoist deities and practices by both aristocracy and the peasants were very widespread. And for the first time in history, China had contact with the West through the Silk Road. The Western Han period can be divided into the time of consolidation (Emperors Han Gaozu, Wendi 漢文帝, Zhaodi 漢昭帝, Jingdi 漢景帝), the zenith with the expansion into Inner Asia (Emperor Han Wudi 漢武帝) and the centralization of power, and the time of replacement of the imperial power by the mighty consort clan of the Wang 王 (emperors Yuandi 漢元帝, Chengdi 漢成帝). Wang Mang 王莽 tried to replace the Han Dynasty but his reforms to shape an ideal Confucian government failed, and the Han Dynasty was restored as Eastern Han. The Eastern Han, much more than Western Han, suffered under the intervention of consort clans (waiqi 外戚) and eunuch (huanguan 宦官) factions into the inner power circle of the empire. The fundaments of both of the Wang Mang and Eastern Han administration were shaken by large peasant uprisings with religious backgrounds (Red Eyebrows 赤眉, Yellow Turbans 黃巾, Five-Pecks-of-Grain Sect 五斗米道), the helm of government of Eastern Han was taken over my mighty warlords that should divide the Han empire into three "kingdoms" (Sanguo 三國).

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