Map

Map of the Han Dynasty

This map is of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) compared to modern day China. The ivory area is the Han Dynasty’s territory. The red line marks the borders of modern day China. Expansion of the Han was largest during Emperor Han Wudi’s rule. The first expansion occurred when the Han defeated the Xiongnu. The expansion of the Han also included expanding into the Gansu province in North Korea, the Tunnan and Guangzhou provinces, and the northern area of modern Vietnam. This map also includes the Chang’an, Loyang, and the Great Wall of China. During the shift of the Western Han period, and the Eastern Han period, the capital city shifted from Chang’an, to Loyang. During the period of the Han Dynasty, the Great Wall was extended far into the Gobi Desert. This was important because it made the wall hard to scale, so the Han was safe from invaders. Also, the wall protected the Han against erosion of the weather. The Han’s territory was more than half the size of today’s China, but still not quite as big.