page_title: Southward expansion of the Han dynasty
section_title: Military campaigns
hierarchical_section_title: Southward expansion of the Han dynasty / Military campaigns
caption_attribution_description: Painted ceramic statues of one Chinese cavalryman and ten infantrymen with armor, shields, and missing weapons, from the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC - 9 AD), now located at the Hainan Provincial Museum.
context_page_description: The Southward expansion of the Han dynasty was a series of Chinese military campaigns and expeditions in what is now modern Southern China and Northern Vietnam. Military expansion to the south began under the previous Qin dynasty and continued during the Han era. Campaigns were dispatched to conquer the Yue tribes, leading to the annexation of Minyue by the Han in 135 BC and 111 BC, Nanyue in 111 BC, and Dian in 109 BC.
  Han Chinese culture took root into the newly conquered territories and the Baiyue and Dian tribes were eventually assimilated or displaced by the Han Empire. Evidence of Han dynasty influences are apparent in artifacts excavated in the Baiyue tombs of modern southern China. This sphere of influence eventually extended to various ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms, where contact led to the spread of Han Chinese culture, trade and political diplomacy. The increased demand for Chinese silk also led to the establishment of the Silk Road connecting Europe, the Near East, and China.
caption: Painted ceramic statues of one Chinese cavalryman and ten infantrymen with armor, shields, and missing weapons in the foreground, and three more cavalrymen in the rear, from the tomb of Emperor Jing of Han (r. 157–141 BC), now located at the Hainan Provincial Museum
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