Person

Emperor Wen of Han

203–157 BCE · 2nd century BCE · Also known as Liu Heng

Emperor Wen of Han, born Liu Heng, was a son of Liu Bang who was made King of Dai before being chosen emperor in 180 BCE after the fall of the Lü clan. His reign, to 157 BCE, was remembered as a model of frugal and lenient government: he lowered taxes, abolished mutilating punishments and avoided war with the Xiongnu.

Emperor Wen of Han
Image: AnonymousUnknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Kingdom of Dai (206 BC)Western Wei (206 BC)

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Emperor Wen of Han. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-han
MLA
“Emperor Wen of Han.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-han. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Emperor Wen of Han.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-han.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Emperor Wen of Han’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/emperor-wen-of-han (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻