The Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Warriors are a collection of terracotta statues of more than 8,000 figures. They represent the warriors and horses of the army of The First Emperor of Qin, who self-proclaimed first emperor of China.
It is a type of funerary art buried in a battle formation composed of three graves between four and eight meters deep, located one and a half kilometers east of the emperor's tomb, and about 35 km east of Xi'an, as part of the Mausoleum of First Emperor of Qin.
History of The Terracotta Warriors
The Terracotta Warriors were buried near the tomb of the first emperor of China of the Qin dynasty between 210-209 BC. According to history records, the emperor ordered the construction of his mausoleum to begin when he assumed the throne of the state of Qin in 246 BC. The emperor believed that by burying this terracotta army in battle formation, he would continue to have them in the underworld.
Attractions of The Terracotta Warriors
The museum is mainly made up of three pits and an exhibition hall: first pit, second pit, third pit and the Bronze Chariots Exhibition Hall. According to an experienced guide, the best view is from the front of the first pit around the corners.
According to estimates from 2007, among the three graves there were figures of more than 8,000 soldiers built slightly larger than life size, a cavalry of 150 animals and 130 chariots pulled by another 520 horses. There are also other non-military figures were also found, such as officials, acrobats, strongmen and musicians.
The first pit is the largest and most impressive. There are said to be more than 6,000 terracotta figures of soldiers and horses there, but less than 2,000 are on exhibition for protection purposes. Almost all of the most impressive photos of the Terracotta Warriors that you see on the internet are taken in the first pit.
Why The Terracotta Warriors Are in Grey Color?
In fact, they looked more colorful and vivid than today when armies, warriors, chariots and horses were made. They suffered slow millennial oxidation and fluvial erosion of groundwater, eventually becoming very humid. In 1974 they experienced rapid oxidation and dehydration when the pits were opened and exposed to the air. Unfortunately the color coating was severely damaged, then aged and peeled off. That's why the terracotta warriors we see now are gray.
They say he wouldn't be a hero until he has visited the Great Wall, and for the same reason, the trip to Xi'an is not complete without visiting the Terracotta Warriors. Any tourist who makes a trip to the Terracotta Warriors will be surprised by the size of the army, peculiar terracotta figures, objects found during excavations and restored bronze chariots. Since 1987, the entire archaeological complex has been considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
