During the last two centuries BC, the Western Han dynasty of China forged the first stable empire covering all of China and presided over a golden age that shaped much of subsequent Chinese art and culture. From family values to the structure of the civil service, Han thinking and philosophy continue to pervade Chinese society up to the present day - indeed, the majority of Chinese people consider themselves 'Han Chinese'. In the search for immortality, the Han imperial family left an artistic legacy of spectacular beauty and power. The finest of these treasures to have survived - including exquisite jades, silver and goldwork, bronzes and ceramics - have been found in the tombs of the Han imperial family and of a revival 'emperor' of Nanyue.