By the time of the Han dynasty - still more than 2, 000 years ago - China's borders already closely resembled those of eastern and central China today.

BBC: A Point Of View: Making sense of China

Central Asia has been a geostrategic crossroads of people, capital and ideas since the first Han dynasty caravans traveled the ancient Silk Road.

FORBES: Magazine Article

Locals claim that their county has been turning out acrobats for more than 2, 000 years, since the Western Han Dynasty.

NPR: The Acrobats of China's Wuqiao County

The Qin's extremism was also its undoing and it was soon replaced by the more enduring Han dynasty, which sought compromise with aristocratic elites and legitimation through a revived Confucianism.

ECONOMIST: Theories of history

In addition, the city is peppered with old city walls, temples, pagodas and tombs from Han Dynasty rulers, including the Hanyangling Tomb, which houses Emperor Jingdi and his wife Empress Wang.

BBC: Living in: Great cities for history and ancient ruins