Travel to Xi'an - The Immortal Warriors of Clay

In 221 B.C., at twenty-five, young Ying Zheng put a stop to over two centuries of rivalry and warring among the many different provinces in China, creating the first unified empire in China's history. This period of time became known as the Qin Dynasty, and young Ying Zheng literally made a new name for himself. He became known as 'Qin Shi Huangdi', or 'First Emperor of Qin'. He came up with that name for a reason. 'Shi', means 'first', and together with a combination of 'Huang', the names of three previous emperors and 'Di', the names of five previous emperors, he created a name using theirs in order to signify his greatness over them.

During his reign as emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi accomplished great things for his country. He encouraged a standard style of writing and created a circular copper coin with a square hole cut in the center to be used for common coinage. He reformed the standards on the use of weights and measures and reformed the way laws were written. But Qin Shi Huangdi was also known as a tyrant. He constantly warred with others, he burned books, and he was known to be ruthless in dealing with those whose opinion differed from his own. Today, opinions differ in their views of Qin Shi Huangdi's contributions or detriments to Chinese history. Regardless, he left behind a legacy that personifies the finest in Chinese art and culture.

After Qin Shi Huangdi reached the throne in 246 B.C., he ordered work to begin on what would someday become his tomb. It was an ambitious project, and the next thirty-nine years saw a massive effort to create a tomb befitting such an important ruler, on an Eastern scale that rivals the great pyramids of ancient Egypt.

Home of the Warriors

The town of Xi'an was once one of the six ancient capitals of ancient China. Xi'an served as the capital during the Zhou, Qui, Sui and Tang dynasties for nearly 1,000 years. Today, Xi'an is found in Lintong County in the Shaanxi province, southwest of the present capital city of Beijing. It was here, in the red soil of the Yellow River valley, that Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi ordered his final resting place to be built. Over 700,000 people worked on the site until Qin Shi Huangdi's death in 210 B.C.

For two thousand years, buried by sand and neglect, the site remained undiscovered until the spring of 1974, when local peasants in the process of digging a well discovered what they thought were pottery relics. What they had actually unearthed was a tiny portion of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi's 'mausoleum city'. Located at the base of the north end of Lishan Hill in Lintong County, Shaanxi Province, the tomb enclosed an army of clay warriors, set in place those may years ago to protect the emperor after his death.

That same year, archaeologists discovered 6,000 life-sized soldiers made of terra cotta clay as they excavated the site. The oblong pit in which they were found measured almost 700 feet long by 200 feet wide. Trenches were discovered within the pit itself, some measuring 14 to 21 feet deep. The silent, clay warriors stand within these trenches. Each clay solider is created of terra cotta clay and stands anywhere from 5 feet 8 inches tall to 6 feet 5 inches tall. All 6,000 soldiers stand in battle formation, dressed and armed for war with real swords, spears, bows and arrows. Uniforms show each soldier's rank. Remnants of red and green paint can still be seen on many of the figures, and they wear black or brown body armor. Life-sized horses and chariots have also been discovered within the pit, each painstakingly detailed and rendered. The craftsmanship is unequalled for its time, and each soldier bears a unique facial expression, while the horses are immortalized in different poses as well.

In the late spring of 1976, another pit was discovered. Another 1,400 clay warriors and horses were found within, but unlike the first pit, the second contained over five-dozen chariots as well. A third pit was discovered in 1980, the smallest of the three, but because it contains only one chariot, a handful of soldiers and a small number of weapons, it is believed to represent a grouping of commanders. The first pit was opened for public viewing in 1980, the third in 1984, and the second pit in 1994. Covering an area of over two square kilometers, the mausoleum complex is built on four levels, which contain an underground palace, the center, an inner city, and the outer city and grounds. The area containing the terra cotta warriors and horses are found outside the outer city complex.

As excavation continues, archaeologists are still learning about the remarkable achievement made over 2,000 years ago by an ancient people. Iron farm tools, silk and linen fabrics, weapons and other artifacts buried beneath the soil for so long have been remarkable preserved and offers modern man a glimpse into a different world.

Visitors to the mausoleum must view the site from catwalks, and be forewarned, there is no photography allowed. Even so, this visitor witnessed more than a few native Chinese snapping photographs, and while the museum staff yelled them at, no one had their camera taken away. Even so, I wouldn't suggest it, especially if you're a foreigner. As an added bonus, the excavations are still in progress and teams of men can often be seen digging, sifting and assembling portions of clay figures as tourists stream past.

Three separate vaults are available for viewing. The first vault is the first spot to begin your tour of the site. Clay infantrymen stand in silent columns that fill eleven trenches. The life-sized ranks face east, toward the Emperor's tomb. Around 1,000 of the 6,000 terra cotta warriors here have been reconstructed.

The second vault contains infantrymen, in addition to archers, cavalry and charioteers. While the first vault primarily contains foot soldiers, this second vault is devoted primarily to the cavalry. Many of the horses bear saddles. Ancient beams from the roof structure can still be seen if you know where to look. While the third is the smallest of those yet discovered, it seems to serve as a command post of sorts. Based on their style of dress, the 68 figures seen here appear to have been high-ranking officers.

Since their discovery, the Terra Cotta Warriors have been claimed as the 8^th Wonder of the World, and it is easy to see why. The Museum of the Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses has become a national landmark and a definite stop for thousand of travelers who venture to China each year. In 1987, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) listed it as a point of world cultural heritage, along with Qin Shi Huangdi's Great Wall. The first Emperor of China wanted to be guarded for eternity by a replica of his own army, and it certainly appears as if his desire came true, as these clay warriors remain mute testimony of the strength and might of an ancient empire.