Interesting Facts about The Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an (The Terracotta Army)
Ever since the Terracotta Warrior accidentally discovered by farmers digging a well, this Eighth Wonder of the World has been drawing travelers across China and around the world. Most travelers to China consider the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an as a must-see. But what makes this ancient site so amazing? What’s the secret of its mystique? Let’s get started exploring its history!
Historical Facts about the Terracotta Army:The Terracotta Warriors is located in the Lintong District, Xi’an, Shaanxi province, 932 m (3,057 ft) east of emperor Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum. It is a collection of funerary Terracotta army for Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. The Terracotta figures were discovered by farmers in 1974. The figures include soldiers, chariots and horses. The Terracotta Warriors display the armies of Qin Shi Huang. Experts estimate that the entire Terracotta Army consists of over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots and 670 horses, the majority of which remain buried. Terracotta Warriors is the largest underground military museum in the world. In 1987, Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was listed in World Heritage. |
Qin Shi Huang started to build his own tomb in 246 BC when he was just 13 years old. This tomb was completed in 218 BC. The massive construction effort involved over 100,000 workers! But the Terracotta Warriors is just one part of the tomb. The other parts of the tomb includes replicas of the emperor’s palace, rare household utensils and many other wonderful objects. Why would Qin Shi Huang spend so much time and money to build his tomb? Well, his purpose was to transfer his empire in his afterlife, ensuring that he had subjects to rule over. Such was his desire recreate his life after death that even went so far as to have his wife and children killed and buried along with him. The Third Emperor of the Ming Dynasty had more than thirty beautiful women hanged to be buried with him after he died.
The Terracotta Warriors are contained within three main pits. The largest pit is 230 m. (755 ft) long, 62 m. (203 ft.) wide, 5 m. (16.4 ft) deep and the total size is 14,260 sq. m. (153,493 sq. ft.). The terracotta features vary in height, uniform and hairstyle according to their roles.The warriors’ average height is 1.8 meters. The kneeling archers’ average height is 1.2 meters. The cavalry’s average height is 1.7 m. (5.6 ft.). Most of the soldiers hold bronze weapons such as sword, spear, arch, crossbow, machete.
As the first emperor’s tomb of China, Terracotta Warriors have been well preserved for over 2,000 years. It’s one of the greatest discoveries in the world. In 1978, the former French president Jacques Chirac visited the Museum of Terracotta Warriors and he said it should be the eighth Wonder of the World. If you go to China, you can’t miss visiting the Terracotta Army.
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