It has been my dream to see this UNESCO World Heritage Site since I first heard about it 40+ years ago. And now I am here! This place is amazing! And only about a quarter of this site has been uncovered.
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Haung, the first Emperor of China.
Work on his mausoleum began in 246BCE, soon after Emperor Qin (at age 13) ascended the throne. The project would eventually involve 700,000 workers (convicts) and took 38 years to build.
When the Emperor died, he was buried with his Terracotta Army to have protection in his afterlife.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in March of 1974 by farmers digging a water well. The site covers an area of 6.3 acres (25,380 square meters) with four pits in total. Figures were unearthed in three of them. The Pits are estimated to hold more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses. Other terracotta non-military figures found in other pits (still being excavated and not open to the public) include officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Below is a link to a great site with lots of facts and info about the Terracotta Warriors:
Where the bus dropped us off, we had to take a shuttle through a park (see green area to the left) to the entrance.
This is the called the "nursery". This is where all the damaged statues uncovered in Pit 1 and 2 go to be pieced together and/or repaired. There are several of these "nurseries" at one end of Pit 1.
POTTERY FACTORY & LUNCH
Before heading back to the hotel, we stop to visit a pottery factory and have lunch.
Entering the gift shop.
Finally, time for our tasty lunch.
TANG DYNASTY SHOW & DINNER
This is the night before Dave's birthday. So we did this optional event to celebrate his birthday.
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Haung, the first Emperor of China.
When the Emperor died, he was buried with his Terracotta Army to have protection in his afterlife.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in March of 1974 by farmers digging a water well. The site covers an area of 6.3 acres (25,380 square meters) with four pits in total. Figures were unearthed in three of them. The Pits are estimated to hold more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses. Other terracotta non-military figures found in other pits (still being excavated and not open to the public) include officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians. Below is a link to a great site with lots of facts and info about the Terracotta Warriors:
Look at the mirror on the upper left.
Didn't realize that we took a selfie.
Our first stop was the museum, then we spent time exploring all three Pits.
The Emperor's chariot and horses.
People were crowded around these cases desperate to take a picture; they were pushing and shoving. Then they moved onto the next case. Curious, didn't they know these are fake. Bronze replicas of the real thing. But, I took pictures too.
Pit 1 is the biggest of the three pits. It covers 2 football fields. It contains the main army with 6,000 figures.
See the white sign at 3:00? That's where the farmers started to dig their water well, discovering the army in 1974.
All the faces are different. No two are alike. The faces are supposed to replicate Emperor Qi's actual army.
Pit 2 covers half the area of Pit 1. This pit has army units with chariots, infantry, cavalry and crossbowmen.
These Terracotta Warriors were almost destroyed. During the 3rd
century BC, a rebel general, Xiang Yu, and leader of a rebellion against Qi managed to get access to the outer chambers of the imperial tomb. Xiang and his soldiers stole weapons from inside and smashed many Terracotta warriors and then set fire to the chambers. Smashed warriors were found in both Pits 1 and 2.
Every time a wondrous site is discovered or developed; along comes business, hotels and other tourist attractions. Built next to the Terracotta site is a plaza with a park, shops and a grand theater. Our bus was parked on the other side of this plaza so when we exited the site we walked through this area. We were given no time to stop and shop, but I got some interesting pictures.
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| "Life is hard, but your fat is soft"?? |
Before heading back to the hotel, we stop to visit a pottery factory and have lunch.
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| Do you see Slowpoke?? |
You can send in your photo and they will make a sculpture of you.
This is the night before Dave's birthday. So we did this optional event to celebrate his birthday.
The show "Empress of the Great Tang" is based on the life of the famous Empress Wu Ze-tian of the Tang Dynasty. She was born in 624 CE (Common Era - replaces AD) and became a concubine of the Tang Emperor when she was only 14 years old. Years of living in the palace had made her tough and smart. With her wisdom, talents and persistence, she managed to become the first wife of the emperor and eventually ascended the throne when her husband died. This five-part dance and music show included a 5-course dinner with each course being served as each part started.
The dinner was delicious and the show with its colorful costumes was wonderful. We had a good seat with a perfect view of the show.
Our delicious meal!
(1)"Pearls of Cathay"; Chicken fillet in special sauce with steamed dumpling and salad. (2) "The Royal Marriage"; Black mushroom consomme. (3) "Heart of the Dragon"; Crispy fresh king prawn with honey glazed cashew nut highlighted with special dressing. (4) "The Princess's Pin"; Sauteed fillet of beef in sweet and sour sauce served with garden vegetables and fried rice. (5) "The Willow's Melody"; Orange sago. Sorry, did not get a picture of the dessert.
Tomorrow our morning is free. Yeah! We get to sleep in. We have a late afternoon flight out of Xian to Chongqing where we board the Viking Emerald to begin our river cruise.
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