The Han dynasty marked the beginning of expansion and creativity. Emperor Wudi's armies expanded the empire by capturing lands to the south and crossing the Great Wall to the north. In 139 B.C., Wudi sent out the explorer Zhang Qian. He returned 10 years later with tales of Western riches and wonder. It was China's first hint that a civilized world lay beyond its borders, and it was the beginning of the trade route known as the Silk Road.
Han rulers kept their lands closed to outsiders. To do this,they used middlemen from neighboring countries to do their trading with other countries. They kept their achievements secret, such as the inventions of the seismograph, paper, and the medical practice of accupuncture.During the Han dynasty, Chinese engineers developed salt mining, and Chinese artisans worked with bronze and gold and they glazed pottery. Han dynasty writers wrote books on mathematics, medicine, poetry, history, and assembled the first Chinese dictionary.
What were some of
China's greatest achievements under the Han dynasty?
New
termsmiddleman = a trader who buys from one and sells to
another
seismograph = an instrument for detecting and determining the direction,
strength, and lengths of earthquakes and other ground
movements