The language of the Han Chinese is the most widely spoken in the world. Commonly referred to as Mandarin Chinese, it is actually a Beijing-based dialect of the Han language. The Han language, in its various dialects, has been the official language of China since the Qin Dynasty, or around 221 B.C. Mandarin is the oldest living language in the world.

While the government of China officially promotes atheism, many Han still hold traditional beliefs. For well over 2,000 years, China has practiced Confucianism. Confucianism has held a place at the center of a traditional Han family since its founding around 500 BCE. Confucianism is not a religion, rather a set of rules regarding relationships, such as the relationship between a father and a son. Founded about the same time as Confucianism, most Han are also Taoists. Since Confucianism is not a religion, most Han practice a mixture of the two.

The traditional diet of the Han Chinese consists mainly of rice. The diet also varies quite a bit between different regions. In the north, where the Mandarin Han are predominant, there is more grazing area so there is more cattle or chicken consumed. In the south, where the Cantonese Han are predominant, fish is more common. Meals are always eaten with the family and this time is very important to the Han.

Traditional Han society has 3 basic classes. These classes are the Mandarins (bureaucrats and aristocrats); a class of peasants, workers and artisans; and the "mean people," those who are outcasts of society. These classes are now officially banned, but many remnants remain. While somewhat rigid, there is still the possibility of social stratification in Han society. In traditional Han culture, it was possible, through the use of testing, for those in the workers class to become Mandarins. It was impossible, however, for those in the "mean people" class to attain status.

The Han have been dominant in China since the founding of the Chinese Empire, except for two periods totaling 400 years. The Mandarin class was completely made up of Han, as was the massive bureaucracy power base in the Chinese Empire, even during the periods when the Han were not in direct control.

The basic Han clothing was a robe, which was either full-length or calf-length. The front of the robe was left cut, but it was kept closed by a belt. As a rare commodity, cloth was valued by the Han. Silk was also valued, and was often used to reward service to the State. Excess fabric was used to indicate wealth and prestige, and wearing larger and larger clothing, often to the point of immobilizing the wearer, conveyed status.

To the Han Chinese, family is extremely important. The oldest male is considered the head of the household, and is to be respected. Unlike a typical American household where the nuclear family lived together, the traditional Han family consists of the entire extended family. Once the father gets old, it is considered the duty of the son to take care of his father until his death.