2011-18 Terracotta Army, Xian China
Hello All,
Our second day in Xian found us at the location where the Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974. Some local farmers digging a well discovered this historical treasure. The discovery prompted archaeologists to investigate further, and they unearthed the largest pottery figurine group ever found in China. The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210-209 BC and whose purpose was to help guard his empire in his afterlife.
Figurines vary in height, according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. Warriors, chariots, and horses are among them. Estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there are over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses. The majority are still buried in the pits. Other terracotta non-military figures were also found in other pits and they include officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians.
So who was the Emperor Qin Shi Huang? He was one of the most important rulers in Chinese history and left a legacy as morally complicated as that of Peter the Great. Like the Russian Tsar, he is as well-known for his contributions to the modern state as he is for sacrificing the lives of thousands of laborers to accomplish his visionary projects. Made King of the state of Qin at the age of thirteen, by the time he was thirty-eight he had conquered the six neighboring states to unify China for the first time. Although China benefited from his many radical and visionary policies and public works programs, thousands of Chinese workers died completing them.
Seven hundred thousand laborers were sacrificed to construct Emperor Qin’s tomb which was begun as soon as he ascended the throne. All workers and childless concubines were interred with the tomb to safeguard its secrets. Written history tells that the ceiling is inlaid with pearls to represent the starry heavens. The floor made of stone forms a map of his Chinese kingdom and a hundred rivers of mercury flow across it. And, the tomb is protected by deadly booby-traps.
Emperor Qin’s tomb hasn’t been excavated, partly because archaeologists are still uncertain of its exact location. Often Emperors amassed huge burial mounds simply to divert robbers’ attention from the true site of their tombs. So the artificial mound that today marks the Emperor’s tomb does not necessarily indicate the location of its wondrous central chamber. However, because high mercury levels have recently been reported nearby, archaeologists think they may, at last, have discovered its true location.
After years of excavating the figurines, archaeologists found that the sun and other weather elements were damaging them and fading the colors. So the Chinese government built huge buildings over the pits. Now the air within the pits is climate controlled to protect this world treasure. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The photo below is of part of our group walking towards the entrance of the Terracotta Army site.
Our second day in Xian found us at the location where the Terracotta Army was discovered in 1974. Some local farmers digging a well discovered this historical treasure. The discovery prompted archaeologists to investigate further, and they unearthed the largest pottery figurine group ever found in China. The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210-209 BC and whose purpose was to help guard his empire in his afterlife.
Figurines vary in height, according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. Warriors, chariots, and horses are among them. Estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there are over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses. The majority are still buried in the pits. Other terracotta non-military figures were also found in other pits and they include officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians.
So who was the Emperor Qin Shi Huang? He was one of the most important rulers in Chinese history and left a legacy as morally complicated as that of Peter the Great. Like the Russian Tsar, he is as well-known for his contributions to the modern state as he is for sacrificing the lives of thousands of laborers to accomplish his visionary projects. Made King of the state of Qin at the age of thirteen, by the time he was thirty-eight he had conquered the six neighboring states to unify China for the first time. Although China benefited from his many radical and visionary policies and public works programs, thousands of Chinese workers died completing them.
Seven hundred thousand laborers were sacrificed to construct Emperor Qin’s tomb which was begun as soon as he ascended the throne. All workers and childless concubines were interred with the tomb to safeguard its secrets. Written history tells that the ceiling is inlaid with pearls to represent the starry heavens. The floor made of stone forms a map of his Chinese kingdom and a hundred rivers of mercury flow across it. And, the tomb is protected by deadly booby-traps.
Emperor Qin’s tomb hasn’t been excavated, partly because archaeologists are still uncertain of its exact location. Often Emperors amassed huge burial mounds simply to divert robbers’ attention from the true site of their tombs. So the artificial mound that today marks the Emperor’s tomb does not necessarily indicate the location of its wondrous central chamber. However, because high mercury levels have recently been reported nearby, archaeologists think they may, at last, have discovered its true location.
After years of excavating the figurines, archaeologists found that the sun and other weather elements were damaging them and fading the colors. So the Chinese government built huge buildings over the pits. Now the air within the pits is climate controlled to protect this world treasure. The area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The photo below is of part of our group walking towards the entrance of the Terracotta Army site.
The area was beautifully landscaped. Here Miss
Barb is standing near one of the pit entrances.
We were blown away at the size
of the huge buildings over the pits. We were also blown away at the size of the
pits being excavated. Until you are there to see the extent of this find it is
hard to fathom the sheer immensity of it. In the following photo those are
people walking on the far side of the pit.
It is hard to get your mind
wrapped around the fact that these were made over 2,000 years ago! Also, notice
that there are no two alike--fascinating.
Over time some of the
figurines have been damaged or broken. There was a team of workers sorting through
broken pieces and reconstructing figurines from them. Talk about tedious work.
Here are a few figurines that
they were working on while we were there.
After visiting all three pits
we went to the museum located at the site. This is where some of the most
elegant treasures that have been found are displayed behind thick glass for
protection.
There was an observation we
made in China that truly amazed us. At museums and other tourist venues signage
was in both Chinese and English. Even many street signs in cities and towns
were in both languages.
The figurine in the following photo is of a high ranking army officer.
The figurine in the following photo is of a high ranking army officer.
The life size chariot and
horses in the following photo were simply outstanding. What a wonderful work of
art. And, to think it was completed over 2,200 years ago.
The carriage in the following
photos was equally amazing.
Our next stop was the
government store at the site. Here they were selling beautiful works of art
made from jade and other materials. You could even get your very own life-size
Terracotta Warrior carved out of jade.
When President Clinton visited
Xian in 1998 and toured the Terracotta Army site, and he wanted to meet the
person that discovered them. He said this person should be famous too. You can
imagine the scurrying of the Chinese officials in charge of President Clinton’s
visit as they didn’t have a clue who the farmers were or where they were.
However, persistence prevailed and they soon learned the farmers were still
farming in the area. They were found and brought to meet the President.
Mr. Yang is the name of the farmer who, with three friends, was digging for a well when they discovered the largest chamber of terracotta soldiers. He is credited with insisting that the group contact the authorities to report their findings. Apparently, on meeting Mr. Yang, President Clinton asked for his autograph and that created an embarrassing situation. You see, Mr. Yang could not read or write. Mr. Yang made three circles on the paper to serve as his autograph for the President.
This embarrassed the Chinese Government so much that they sent Mr. Yang to work with a renowned calligrapher for six months so that he could learn to write his name. They then gave Mr. Yang a new job at the site signing his name for tourists. He has since written a book about the discovery. His book was for sale at the government store. If you bought it he would sign it and you could have your photo taken with him. The following photo is of Mr. Yang and Miss Joanne, a member of our group and a new friend from Ontario, Canada.
Mr. Yang is the name of the farmer who, with three friends, was digging for a well when they discovered the largest chamber of terracotta soldiers. He is credited with insisting that the group contact the authorities to report their findings. Apparently, on meeting Mr. Yang, President Clinton asked for his autograph and that created an embarrassing situation. You see, Mr. Yang could not read or write. Mr. Yang made three circles on the paper to serve as his autograph for the President.
This embarrassed the Chinese Government so much that they sent Mr. Yang to work with a renowned calligrapher for six months so that he could learn to write his name. They then gave Mr. Yang a new job at the site signing his name for tourists. He has since written a book about the discovery. His book was for sale at the government store. If you bought it he would sign it and you could have your photo taken with him. The following photo is of Mr. Yang and Miss Joanne, a member of our group and a new friend from Ontario, Canada.
Visiting the site of the
Terracotta Army was a wonderful experience--one that we won’t forget for a long
time. The history and accomplishments of the Chinese people continue to
astonish us.
Late in the afternoon our tour bus took us to the Xian Airport where we caught a flight to our next destination--Beijing. This is where we would visit the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Sacred Way and Tiananmen Square. We’ll talk about these in future additions of our little blurb.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Late in the afternoon our tour bus took us to the Xian Airport where we caught a flight to our next destination--Beijing. This is where we would visit the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Sacred Way and Tiananmen Square. We’ll talk about these in future additions of our little blurb.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns