No matter what you think you know about this incredible sight before you go to see it, nothing prepares you for the magnificence that is this sight. These terra cotta renditions of thousands of men in the military uniform of their time, each with an individual face, is overwhelmingly beautiful and impressive.
Xi'an was the seat of China's power brokers for a long time, so while the city today is not in the top 10 in terms of population, it has a rich history. The emperors who died here once upon a time were buried with many men to protect them in the after life. Unfortunately, while the emperor was dead when buried they were not.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang,
later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his
mausoleum. He was a man getting ready to die before he had even had a
chance to live. But he did not want to take live men with him, so he created this masterpiece. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many
buried
treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his
after life.
A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for
a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974, one of whom is still coming to
the site to greet visitors on a regular basis. It caught the attention
of
archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to
extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts
were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC). Thankfully it all
was discovered as the Cultural Revolution was winding down, and
amazingly, the site was protected from the elements within a year.
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