The
Terracotta Warriors

What is the
Terracotta Army ?
The Terracotta Army is the famed historical
figures of "the Terracotta
Warriors" and their horses.
These figures were unearthed in 1974 in the
Shaanxi province. The site where the figures were discovered
was later on revealed to be the burial ground for the Qin
dynasty's first emperor. This is considered a great
discovery because Qin Shia Huangdi is the emperor who united
the empire. The 8099 life size and amazingly realistic
Terracotta warriors were unearthed near the burial
site of the First Qin Emperor.
Today, the site is considered as a World
Heritage Site. It is, in fact, often regarded as the Eight
Wonder of the World. The construction of this tomb spanned
several decades. In fact, remains of those that helped in
creating the site were found on the tomb as well.
The Terracotta Army is an exceptional
archeological discovery. No other structure in China
represents the history of the country as much as these
artifacts do. These figures represent the security system
that protects the emperor and the imperial palace in the old
days.
The Terracotta warriors are life like. They
are carefully crafted with their own unique physical
attributes and weapons to represent their ranks and
positions. They are all different. They have their own
appearance, height, size and uniform. They were carrying
real weapons used during the Qin dynasty. Some Terracotta
warriors stride their horse while others were riding their
chariots. There are many Terracotta warriors that are merely
standing aligned in rows.
They were found in separate areas. The
smallest area contained about 1,400 figures. Six thousands
warriors were found in the largest pit. Figures representing
warriors with higher ranks were found in the third pit. The
figures were riding on chariots drawn by huge horses.
Visiting the Terracotta Warriors
:
You wouldn't go to Egypt without visiting
the Pyramids now, would you? It's the same with China. It's
only after you have seen them that you could really say that
you've visited China.
When visiting the site, you need to go to
Xian, the capital of the Shaanxi province. It is
approximately an hour away from Beijing by plane. The museum
where the Terracotta Warriors are kept is about 30 minutes
away from Xian. Once you've reached the museum, you need to
first pay an entrance fee of $8.00 or $11.00 before you
could proceed inside. You will then be entertained by a
movie explaining the story behind the Terracotta warriors.
After the movie, you will then be brought to the different
pits or areas where the figures were found.
Foreign tourists would often go on group or
private tours to visit the site. Depending on what you
prefer, you can book yourself for either. If you are on a
restricted budget, however, a group tour would be less
costly. The museum is opened from 8 in the morning until 6
in the evening. It would take you at least three hours to
completely finish the tour. Your tour to the
Terracotta warriors museum is definitely worth
every second.
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