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The Terracotta Warriors Army are life-sized terracotta figures arranged in a battle formation. They appear to be a replica of the imperial guards and their horses in the ancient times. The terracotta warriors are one of the major attractions considered to be the "Eight wonder of the World". They are the most significant archaeological museum excavations of the 20th century.
The history of the Terracotta Warriors dates back to 246 BC when Emperor Qin was working on his mausoleum which took him 11 years to complete. There were many speculations about the many sacrificial objects and buried treasures which owned to the emperor. It was later in 1974, when some innocent peasants were digging a well discovered the earthen pottery. Some archaeologists came to Xian to perform some findings on the extracts and established that the artifacts were associated with items from the Qin dynasty. The next year, the State Council built a museum on the site, which later housed the Qin terracotta warriors and horses and have now become a major itinerary on a traveler’s tour itinerary in China. The museum of the Terracotta warriors Army has a square area of about 16,300 square meters divided into 3 pits. These pits were numbered in order of their discoveries. The pit number 1 has a large number of columns with soldiers standing at the front followed by war chariots at the back. This pit was the largest and the first pit to be opened to the public on China’s National Day in 1979. The second pit, was discovered in 1976. 20 meters northeast of Pit 1, Pit Number 2 contains about a thousand warriors and 90 chariots made out of wood. Later the same year, the third pit was discovered; it looked like the center of command of the armed forces in the ancient times. Pit number 3 was opened to the public in 1989 and it contains 68 warriors, 4 horses and a war chariot. From a distance, all the warriors look alike, but on a closer look, you would notice that each of them have their own different appearances. Every warrior spots a different form of hair style and beard with a different expression, varying shades of complexion and of different ages. The Terracotta Warriors is one proof of the creativity and craftsmanship that people had in the ancient days. Moreover, it is the remaining symbol of how the Chinese people give value not only to people, but also to the dead. |
