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Terra Cotta Warriors Tour in Xian
and China City Tour Package
 
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Xi'an, located in the central China, is only 2 hours by air from Expo City of Shanghai and from Capital City of Beijing. The airfare one-way is typically only US$150 or under.

 

International tourists should seriously consider flying from Beijing or Shanghai to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors.

 

Signup for Xi'an Tour and see the famous Terra Cotta Warriors.

 

 

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Terra-Cotta Warriors Army and the Tour
 
Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses

 

We'll show you how you can create your own Terracotta Warriors and take home.

 

"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.


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