▁were ▁called ▁Han , ▁which ▁was ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁highest ▁class ▁of ▁Chinese . ▁This ▁class ▁" H an " ▁includes ▁all ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁in ▁northern ▁China ▁including ▁Kh itan ▁and ▁J urch en ▁who ▁have ▁in ▁most ▁part ▁sin ic ized ▁during ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁hundreds ▁years . ▁The ▁name ▁" H an " ▁became ▁popular ly ▁accepted . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Q ing ▁dynast y , ▁the ▁Man ch u ▁r ul ers ▁also ▁used ▁the ▁name ▁Han ▁to ▁distinguish ▁the ▁local ▁Chinese ▁from ▁the ▁Man chus . ▁After ▁the ▁fall ▁of ▁the ▁Q ing ▁government , ▁the ▁Han ▁became ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁a ▁national ity ▁within ▁China . ▁Today ▁the ▁term ▁" H an ▁Pers ons ", ▁often ▁rendered ▁in ▁English ▁as ▁Han ▁Chinese , ▁is ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic ▁of ▁China ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁most ▁popul ous ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 6 ▁officially ▁recognized ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁of ▁China . ▁The ▁" H an ▁Chinese " ▁are ▁simply ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" Ch inese " ▁by ▁some . ▁ ▁Tang ▁▁ ▁The ▁name ▁Tang ▁( ; ▁) ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y ▁( 6 1 8 – 9 0 7 ) ▁that ▁pres ided ▁over ▁China ' s ▁second ▁golden ▁age . ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁the ▁Tang ▁D ynast y ▁that ▁South ▁China ▁was ▁finally ▁and ▁fully ▁Sin ic ized ; ▁Tang ▁would ▁become ▁syn onymous ▁with ▁China ▁in ▁Southern ▁China ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁usually ▁Southern ▁Chinese ▁who ▁refer ▁to ▁themselves