The Han Dynasty (simplified Chinese: ??; traditional Chinese: ??; pinyin: H鄋 Ch醥; Wade-Giles: Han Ch'ao; 206 BCE - 220 CE) was the second imperial dynasty of China; preceded by the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BCE) and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms (220-280 CE).

It was founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang; known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty (9-23 CE) of the former regent Wang Mang. This interregnum separates the Han into two periods: the Western Han (206 BCE - 9 CE) and Eastern Han (25-220 CE).

Spanning over four centuries; the period of the Han Dynasty is considered a golden age in Chinese history. To this day; China's majority ethnic group refers to itself as the 'Han people' and Chinese characters are referred to as 'Han characters'.