Han was born in the impoverished village of Nanweiquan in Shanxi and first came to international prominence as a railway worker in Beijing.

In addition to his work at CLB, Han conducts regular interviews with workers and peasants across China on Radio Free Asia.

[1] In 1983, attracted by higher wages, Han began a job at the Fengtai Locomotive Maintenance Section in Beijing.

"[2] Because of this, Han believed that workers needed to protect and represent their own interests, which most likely served as a key incentive for him to join the BWAF.

[1] Han claimed that these acts were in violation of Chairman Mao's teachings that officers and soldiers should share good and bad fortunes and be treated as equals.

[1] While it was considered normal for many workers to hide their identities in the early stages of the protests, Han gave his name freely to those who asked.

[1] Many of the student leaders, particularly the security members, were concerned about the movement being infiltrated by government agents or police who would purposefully provoke violence or "hooliganism.

[2][5] He was freed in 1992 after an international campaign pressured the Chinese government to release him to the United States for treatment of tuberculosis, which he contracted while imprisoned.