Terracotta Army, Xi'an

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Well done, this explanatory film, explaining the construction of the statues and their destruction by the mongols.

The synthesis is perfect, and we really feel in the middle of the action.

Twenty minutes that you shouldn't miss, at no extra charge.

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Often considered the 8th Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Army is one of Chinas major attractions.
Discovered in 1974 by accident when some peasant farmers were digging for a well, they came across what was to be one of the most important archeaological discoveries of the 20th Century.
An army of life-sized soldiers made of terracotta clay. They are attributed to the First Emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty in the 3rd Century BC.

The army is situated in 3 pits with #1 being the largest and first to be excavated. Here, 6000 soldiers have been uncovered, along with horses and parts of chariots. Each figure stands about 6 feet on a pedestal and no 2 are alike, having been taken fom life. It is suggested they were created to guard the tomb of the emperor himself in the afterlife.

The museum complex includes several buildings housing each of the 3 pits. There are exhibits of some soldiers protected in glass, enabling one to study the details up close. There are also weapons and armor as well as 2 stunning chariots uncovered from the tomb.

In addition, there is a restaurant on the premises as well as gift shops. One reaches the museum complex from the parking area by either foot or muti-passenger golf carts. Seperate tickets are required for these in addition to the museum itself.

The museum is outside of the city proper. So, the best way to reach it is either by bus or by tour. I had booked a private tour that also included the Big Goose Pagoda and the City Walls.

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We knew from the media and advertising the importance of this discovery; even so, the grandiosity of the whole, and the quality of the recovering work and preservation that continues, allow some surprise.

A very well conceived 360º film explains how time led to the actual situation: the construction, the destruction by the mongols, the recent discovery. It is, really, enough reason to visit Xi'an.

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Alongside the General there is a separate exhibit of the Kneeling Archer. This was my favourite and I would think he would be at the forefront of any military activity.

The second photo is of a notice re the Kneeling Archer.

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After viewing the Chariots we moved onto a section containing individual display's of the various ranks in the Terra Cotta Army. This was our opportunity to have a close up view of the Warriors. Close enough to touch the exhibit, except for the glass enclosure which prevented our fingers touching the exhibit.

This exhibit is one of the 7 "Generals" found during the excavations.

The 2nd photo is of a notice giving full detail of the exhibit.

Once we had finished viewing the exhibits in Pit 1 we walked to the Cinema for a 20 minute showing of a documentary on the "Warriors". A worthwhile 20 minutes giving us some good background information.

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We spent some time in the Museum shop, even the men enjoyed the goods on sale. One of our group purchased a life sized warrior recently made from clay taken from where the original "Warriors" were made.

It looked exactly like the "Warriors" in the museum, however it was only a few months old!

Cost was US$1400, including freight and insurance. A good idea on the day; hopefully it was welcomed when it arrived in Oklohoma a few months later.

Dont miss the shop as it had some very affordable items and was an excellent place to browse.

We had no trouble travelling to the museum as we were on a 20 day tour and our bus with local guide did all the work for us.

Entry to the museum was fast, we waited 5 minutes whilst the guide purchased our entrance tickets.

After an initial guide through the main Pit our group of 10 split up and did our own thing for the next 90 minutes. There is a theatre with a 20 minute film on the "Warriors" which we found very informative and then we visited the next building where the magnificent carriages were on display.

For those who finished early there was the Coffee Shop outside the museum.