The rubbing of a stone portrait at the Nanyang Stone-carved Art Museum in Han Dynasty depicts the folk legend of the Goddess Chang's fly to the moon. [Photo/Chinaculture.org]

These portraits are based on diverse themes, including legendary emperors like the Yellow Emperor and Fuxi, and legendary creatures the like qilin (a Chinese unicorn) and yuren, or the feather man (a Taoist god). Apart from these, many more portraits mirror various aspects of everyday life and thus can be called an encyclopedia of the Han dynasties.