|
"The uncovering of legions of life-like terracotta warriors
excited China and thrilled the
world."
-- BBC, April 12, 2017
Discovered in 1974, Xi'an has one of the greatest archaeological
finds of the 20th Century. Nearly 2000 years ago, soldiers, charioteers,
archers, musicians, generals, acrobats, thousands of life-size clay
figures were buried in massive underground pits to accompany China's
first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, into the afterlife.
In 1974, a few local villagers looking to dig a well came across
some artifacts in the ground. This find immediately caught the attention
of archeologists and began serious excavation in order to discover
the full scale of this amazing site. It was understood that many
buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor
in his after life, but the amount was unknown. Upon further discovery,
the artifacts discovered are now known as the Terracotta Warriors.
In order to protect the emperor, and to supposedly help him rule
another empire in the afterlife, and an entire life-size army was
created. The clay warriors are fully clothed in military clothing,
have individual characteristics, and come in different military
class and shape. They are accompanied with weapons, jewelry, cannons,
and even horses and carriages. Work is ongoing at this site, which
is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum
in Lin Tong, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province. It is a MUST see when
visiting China; just
as important as seeing the Great Wall
and the Forbidden
City.
At the age of 13 (246 BC), Qin Shi Huang ascended the thrown
and became the first Emperor of all China. Upon ascension, he ordered
the building of his mausoleum, which took 30 years to complete.
According to historians, the process involved 700,000 workers and
is estimated at around 8,000 figures in total. The tomb itself of
the emperor still remains unopened, as it seemingly contains high
levels of mercury. In order to see the actual mausoleum and statues,
first a hike through a city full of merchants, shops, and restaurants
is required. They sell any trinkets or souvenirs that you can think
of, but just be careful because they are tourist traps and they
will definitely try to take your money if you let them. Bargain,
bargain, bargain.
The museum grounds covers an area of 16,300 square meters and
is divided into four pits. They were tagged in the order of their
discoveries. No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public
on China's National Day, 1979. When touring, this pit should definitely
be the last to visit, for the numerous amounts of statues will amaze
anyone. It is divided into sections upon which you can experience
excavations that are currently in progress. Pit No. 1 features mostly
soldiers, however there are some horses and weapons as well. There
are numerous viewing spots all along the pit, including a raised
entrance overlooking the warriors to enable excellent views and
pictures. It can be crowded though, especially in the high seasons,
so don’t be afraid to push your way to the edge to fully experience
the breath-taking statues.
Pits No. 2 and 3 were both found in 1976. Pit No. 2, about 1/2
of the size of the Pit No. 1, is mostly void of statues, however
there are displays that showcase the different types of statues
found in the pit. Not all the soldiers are of the same rank; some
are generals, others are middle-ranking soldiers, and this is all
distinguished based on what they are wearing or how they are standing.
This pit also exhibits the weapons shown in the pit, and don’t forget
those excited tourists, looking to pose next to their favorite statues
for photos. The final pit No. 3 is considered command center of
all the pits to keep the emperor safe in his afterlife. It is smaller
than the others and mostly filled with high-ranking officer statues
and chariots. Pit No. 4 is mostly empty, presumably left incomplete
after the death of the Qin Shi Huang.
The exhibition hall is located in the northeast corner of the
museum, which showcases the importance of the terracotta warriors
in Chinese history. The featured items in the center of the hall
are two puppets that were showcased during the Olympics’ opening
ceremony, a terracotta army soldier holding the hand of a small
Chinese girl. These puppets represent the connection of the old,
historic nation of China with the new, developing nation of the
People’s Republic. The remainder of this museum displays some precious
cultural relics unearthed from the pits. There are ancient swords,
different kinds of bronze weapons and other articles, among which
two sets of bronze chariot and horses are the most valuable. The
two sets of bronze chariot and horses are the most delicate bronze
ware unearthed in China and are the biggest bronze in the world.
The remainder of the park holds shops, cafés, and even a movie
screening room for tourists to learn about the history of the
terracotta warriors
and horses. A live action film reanimates the history of the discovery
of the burial site and its excavation. It even includes clips of
ancient wars during the time period that the soldiers were created.
This film has English narration and Chinese subtitles and is standing
room only.
Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and
even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have
been restored to their former grandeur. The
terracotta warriors
and horses are one of the most sensational archeological finds of
all time. UNESCO listed it in 1987 as one of the world cultural
heritages. The site has put Xi’an on the map for tourists and now
Xi’an is one of China’s most valuable tourist cities. Excavations
today at Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum have continued to reveal astonishing
findings. As Xiaoneng Yang describes Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum complex,
“Ample evidence demonstrates the First Emperor’s ambition: not only
to control all aspects of the empire during his lifetime but to
recreate the entire empire in microcosm for his after life.”
On September 30, 2011,
two
new museums for terracotta warrior statues discovered in
the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang (259-210 BC) have been
completed and opened to the public, local authority said on
a press conference Friday. Two sorts of unarmored terracotta
warriors, acrobatics performers and civil officials, which
were excavated from the burial pits coded K9901 and K0006
respectively in the year of 2000, will be displayed for the
first time.
"The
uncovering of legions of life-like terracotta warriors
excited China and thrilled the world. Qin Shi Huang’s
soldiers marched into the British Museum in September 2007.
Over the next six months more than 850,000 visitors came to
inspect them. Only 1972’s Treasures of Tutankhamun show drew
a bigger crowd. Some of the warriors are now going on show
among 160 other works of art drawn from 32 Chinese museums
and archaeological institutions in the exhibition Age
of Empires: Chinese Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties at
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and a veritable army
of visitors is expected.," wrote Jonathan Glancey on BBC,
April 12, 2017.
Signup for
Xi'an Tour
and see the famous Terra Cotta Warriors.
|
