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The Terracotta Warriors, one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century and recognised as the 8th Wonder of the World is coming to Melbourne. As part of NGV’s Winter Masterpieces, eight of the 8,000 warriors and more than 150 artefacts from the Qin dynasty (221 – 207 BCE) will be on display. Terracotta Warriors in Xian, known as the eighth wonder of the world, now is a museum to display the terra-cotta warriors and horses which were made in Qin Dynasty. Qin terracotta warriors have guarded the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang for over 2000 years.
Terracotta Army HistoryThe Terracotta Army of Xian which is famously known as Terracotta Warriors and Horses is a massive collection of outstanding life-size terracotta sculptures. These were made to replicate a battle formation which resembles the mega imperial guard troops of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 – 210 BC). He is known to be the first emperor to rule the unified dynasty of Imperial China.It is considered as the most noteworthy and substantial archeological excavation of the 20th century. Moreover, it is a recognized UNESCO World Heritage site.
Terracotta Army is definitely a tourist spot worth to visit in.It was initially planned as the historical funerary project for Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Then it developed to be a live museum and was named Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum. The museum offers the life and reign stories of the emperor as well as the very influential Qin Empire (221 – 207 BC).Terracotta Army Facts. The Terracotta Army was regarded as the Eighth Wonder of the World by the former French Prime Minister Chirac in 1978 due to its huge pits and magnificently carved 8,000 figures and horses. It was discovered in 1974 and awarded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The army signifies the 2,200 years of Qin history. It was the period of the entire unification of China, the time when a powerful and abundant dynasty was successfully established.
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With a population of 20 million, annual income of 2,000 kilograms worth of sliver, and military and economic advantage, the dynasty was able to create the funerary project for the emperor’s mausoleum. But in 208 BC, the mausoleum construction was stopped and buried to the ground. It was discovered on March of 1974, buried 1.5 km to the east of Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum mound. Local farmers were digging a well in wasteland near Xiyang Village when one digger excavated one of the life-sized warriors.
Emperor Qin Shihuang ordered the construction of the massive Terracotta Army to guard him in his afterlife. It was the Prime Minister Li Si who designed the construction and senior general Zhang Han who supervised the men at work. Workers are mostly artisans and potters. Many well-known celebrities and leaders have already visited the site. They have delivered profound messages to show their appreciation and awe after seeing the Terracotta Army. Some of them are: former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, former President Jacques Chirac of France, former Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton of United States of America and President Vladimir Putin of Russia.Must Sees Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses.
The warriors and horses are located in 3 major pits. Pit 1 is the largest which was discovered in 1974 and was opened for public viewing on Oct. In here, the three-row frontline of the army and the huge battle formation of infantry and war chariots can be seen.
Pit 2 was founded in 1976. It is located 20 meters northeast of the first discovered pit. It is the most brilliant one for the assortment of divisions such as infantry, crossbow team, cavalry and 80 chariots. The last pit was discovered also in 1976 25 meters northwest of Pit No. It is the pit for the armed forces’ command post.
It has 68 warriors and a chariot with four horses. To fully appreciate and examine the intricate details of the formations and sculptures, a visitor must allot 2 to 4 hours in this section of the museum.Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Park (Lishan Garden). Pit K0006 – Civil Official Figures. This was discovered by the museum’s archaeologists in year 2000. It is an accessory pit which houses 12 pottery figures.
Due to the 8 civil officials included in the pottery, the pit was called Civil Official Figures Pit. Pit K0007 – Bronse Aquatic Birds. Also in year 2000, the pit K0007 was found. It was the farmers of a nearby village who first discovered this fit which was considered as the farther accessory pit to date.
More excavation revealed bronze aquatic birds, thus, it was named Bronze Aquatic Birds Pit. Though Pit K0007 is closed for public viewing, visitors can still see the aquatic birds in the Exhibition Hall of Historical Relics of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum near Pit 1. Pit K9801 – Stone Armor and Helmets. This accessory pit was discovered in 1996 by a farmer of Xiachen Village. The excavated relics are mostly stone armor and helmets, hence, the name Stone Armor Pit. This portion of the museum is not yet open to the public but the excavated items can be viewed in the Exhibition Hall of Historical Relics of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Mausoleum. Pit K9901 – Acrobatics Figures.
This fit is located in the southeast portion of the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and was discovered in year 1999 when eleven acrobatic figures painted in colors and a bronze tripod were unearthed. K9901 has a unique shape of “凸”, a Chinese character, with a 40-meter stretch from east to west.Museum Operations Information. The ticket price is CNY150 from March to November and CNY120 from December to February. IDs or passports are needed in purchasing tickets or entering the museum. For audio guide, the rent is CNY 40 per pax with a deposit of CNY 100.
Opening hours is 8:30 to 17:30 or 18:00.Good to Know. Emperor Qin Shi Huang started preparing for his mausoleum at the age of 13, immediately after ascending to the throne. It took 11 years for the workers to finish the mausoleum. It is believed that the mausoleum contains various treasures and sacrificial items. Probably the most extravagant masterpiece is the Terracotta Army who guards Emperor Qin Shi Huang in his afterlife.
There are different kind of Terracotta Statues such as infantry warriors, cavalry warriors, chariot warriors, kneeling archers, standing archers and others. There were around 40,000 bronze weapons discovered in the pits. Among the best weapons of the Terracotta Army are swords, billhook, spear, dagger-axe, halberd, battle axe, shu, bayonet, crossbow, and arrowhead. The warriors have different clothing depending on their ranks. The officers wear an intricately made headgear, single or double layered gowns with length up to the knee, pants, shoes, and has a colorful armor covering their body. While the terracotta soldiers wear a knee-length gown, an armor, a hat, pants and boots.Terracotta Army Address and DirectionsAddress: Lintong, Xi’an, Shaanxi, ChinaPhone: + 9001Working Hours:Thursday 8:30AM–5PMFriday 8:30AM–5PMSaturday 8:30AM–5PMSunday 8:30AM–5PMMonday 8:30AM–5PMTuesday 8:30AM–5PMWednesday 8:30AM–5PM Getting to Terracotta Army from downtown Xian.
The tourists coming from the Xian Railway Station can take the bus line 5 (306). Travel time is one approximately 60 minutes and it costs CNY 7 per person.
Another bus, 307, travels from Tang City Wall Zone 9 Bus Station to the museum. Travel time is 90 minutes and costs CNY 8 per person. The bus will pass by the Tang Paradise, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Banpo Museum Bus Hub, and Huaqing Palace. Traveling by taxi is also possible.
Getting to the museum by taxi usually takes 40-50 minutes and costs CNY 150.Getting to Terracotta Warriors from Xian Airport. There is an airport shuttle bus to the Xian Railway Station. Travel time to the station is 60 minutes. From there, the visitor can take the tourist bus line 5 (306) and will reach the museum in an hour.
Another shuttle bus leaves the airport to go to Lintong. Travel time is 60 minutes. Upon reaching Lintong, the tourist can transfer to a bus, Lintong 101, to go to the museum in 20 minutes. Plenty of taxis are also available in the airport. Travel time is approximately 70 minutes and it would cost the traveler around CNY 200.Getting to Terracotta Warriors from Xian North Railway Station.
There are free shuttle buses in the North Railway Station. Travel time is 60 minutes.
There are also taxis in the area which would costs CNY 160 and could take the travelers to the museum in 60 minutes.Getting to Terracotta Warriors from Beijing / Shanghai / Hong Kong. There are various flights from these cities to Xian. The visitors can choose a flight and later take any of routes mentioned in the above. Another option is to take the high speed trains to the Xian North Railway Station. Though the traveling time will be longer.
Standing as one of the 10 top attractions of China, the Terracotta Army and Horses is definitely a 'must-see' scenic spot of the age-old city of Xi'an, the 'Eastern Peace'. This large-scale underground military museum is recognized today as one of the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century, a unique historical site never seen anywhere else in the world. The Terracotta Army is the buried army replica of Emperor Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of China, guarding the tomb of the Emperor in his after life and accompanying him in his immortality. Representing the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC) military power, these thousands of life-size figures arranged in a large-scale battle formation are impressive by there size, number and detailed looking. Today, over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses can be seen in the site. As one of the most famous attractions of China together with the Great Wall or the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and Horses scenic spot is attracting thousands of visitors coming from every parts of the world. Now part of any tour packages or visits to Xi'an and China, the Terracotta Army site is the place where meeting with China ancient Imperial Power and great culture that flourished since the beginning of the Qin Dynasty. Discovered in 1974, the site has been ranked as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its marvel and need for preservation to future generations. Today, visitors can still notice archeologists' ongoing work on the site and in the three different pits, a sight giving an even deeper meaning to such a visit in China.The panorama taken was at the Museum of the First Qin Emperor Terracotta Army and Horses.
http://www.visitourchina.com/guide/the_terracotta_army_and_horses.htm
http://www.visitourchina.com/guide/the_terracotta_army_and_horses.htm
360-degree panorama photography by yunzeng liu
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