The Wonder Of The Terracotta Warriors

2,300 years ago the Emperor of China, ruling from the Sichuan Province at Xi'an, prepared to go into the afterlife as a God. He needed an army, weapons, horses, chariots, servants and concubines. He also needed to ensure his tomb was undisturbed. Thousands of  labourers and skilled artisans were forced to begin work decades before his death.

2,300 years ago the Celtic people of Britain were still living in wattle and daub roundhouses and the Roman Empire was in it's infancy, yet to conquer Europe or reach the shores of England.

It is this context which makes the Terracotta Warriors more awesome and impressive, for their sheer size, ambition and sophistication. The Chinese believe they are the 8th man-made wonder of the World. I cannot disagree.

In 1974, three farmers, after a season of drought in the province, began to dig in the hope of finding water. Instead they found pieces of broken pottery. Life-size feet, arms, torsos and more. They reported their find to the Government and promptly became overnight celebrities. Their land became priceless and the authorities have been paying them 1,000,000 Yuan a year in recompense for taking it over and turning it into a working archaeological dig and a museum for the public. The farmers wrote a book about their discovery and they take it in turns to sit at the site signing copies for visitors at 200 Yuan a time (about £20.00)

  

 

When you walk into the aircraft hanger of a building which is known as 'Pit One', the sheer scale takes your breath away. Moreover, every warrior is unique. Each face is different, each figure is life-size and there are thousands of them. More than 6,000 in Pit One alone. At the time they would have been painted in bright, yet realistic colours, but now they are mostly shades of grey and brown.

                  

Archaeologists work at the site every day, cataloging, repairing and investigating and each night, when the doors are closed to the public, they excavate.

 

I spent a few hours at the site with a Chinese guide and a lovely couple from Indiana, America. I could have stayed all day. I took over a hundred photographs from every conceivable angle and choosing just a few to share here was an almost impossible task.

Wow!

Paul

       

                                    

 

A significant highlight in my Chinese tour (one of many) and with a high speed train connecting Beijing to Xi'an in just 5 hours, a must for all visitors to the country.