A Visit to China's Terracotta Army
It has been said that going to China and not seeing the Terracotta Army is like going to Egypt and missing the Pyramids. It is a visit that is worth the trip. A visit to the terracotta army is made from Xi'An (pronounced She-ahn), the capital of Shaanxi province. Xi'An lies to the southwest of Beijing. It is approximately a one-hour flight, or an overnight train ride from Beijing. Xi'An is China's first historic capital, made primary city by the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. The Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Wariors and Horses Museum is located about thirty minutes outside Xi'An proper by car.
The Terracotta Army was buried with the Emperor of Qin (Shi Huang Di) in 209-210 BC (his reign over Qin was from 247 BC to 221 BC and unified China from 221 BC to the end of his life in 210 BC). Their purpose was to help rule another empire with Shi Huang Di in the afterlife. Consequently, they are also sometimes referred to as "Qin's Armies". Some people think that the army was also built for protection.
The Terracotta Army was discovered in March 1974 by local farmers drilling a water well to the east of Mount Li. Mount Li is also where the material to make the terracotta warriors originated. In addition to the warriors, an entire man-made necropolis for the emperor has been excavated.
According to the historian Sima Qian (145 BC-90 BC) construction of this mausoleum began in 246 BC and involved 700,000 workers. Sima Qian, writing a century after its completion, wrote that the First Emperor was buried with palaces, scenic towers, officials, valuable utensils and 'wonderful objects', with 100 rivers fashioned in mercury and above this heavenly bodies below which he wrote were 'the features of the earth. Some translations of this passage refer to 'models' or 'imitations' but in fact he does not use those words. Recent scientific work at the site has shown high levels of mercury in the soil of Mount Lishan, appearing to add credence to the writing of ancient historian Sima Qian.The tomb of Shi Huang Di is near an earthen pyramid 76 meters tall and nearly 350 square meters. The tomb remains unopened, with hopes that it remains intact. Only a part of the site is presently excavated.
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