Terracotta Warriors, the last great secret of China

Xian Terracotta Army

When in 1974 a farmer named Yang Zhifa began digging a well an hour from Xi'an, in China's Shaanxi province, little could he imagine that he would end up finding even 8 thousand figures of warriors and horses made in terracotta, all of them ordered to be built by an emperor obsessed with sculptures. Years later, Terracotta Warriors continue to be China's last great secret unveiled to the world and possibly also one of the most spectacular.

Terracotta Warriors: An Emperor's Imaginary Army

There have been many stories about the Terracotta Warriors, but the truth is that the origin of these 8 thousand unique figures have a name:  Qin Shi Huang (260 BC - 210 BC), the considered like the First Emperor of China. Huang succeeded in unifying the entire country in 221 BC, proclaiming a unique monetary, military and artistic reform in which we find feats such as the first sketch of the Great Wall of China, a new writing system, vast road systems, or the hiring of legions of artisans to reproduce their greatest sculpture ambitions.

It would be during a trip to East China, according to many in search of the islands of immortality, when Huang would be poisoned - it is believed that with mercury - and later buried in the now famous Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, located about 30 kilometers east of Xi'an city. It is also believed that, in its time, the complex itself had a dome of up to 100 meters designed so that the First Emperor could continue to rule from the «Beyond».

Over time, up to 8 terracotta figures were added spread over three different moats separated by bricks next to the mausoleum. Figures that served to record the artistic influence of an era marked by great achievements in sculpture and history, because despite time, warriors continue to be a feat of many colors, expressions and meanings.

Over time, the moats were trapped by the land itself, unleashing hundreds of legends that were circulated by word of mouth by the peasants of the area. In fact, it is said that many of them, when digging wells or working the land, found pieces of these warriors that they conceived as cursed, as a taboo. However, it would be a farmer, Yang Zhifa, who in 1974 would sound the alarm when he found access to this sculpture cemetery when he tried to dig a well with his family and one of his neighbors.

From then on, archaeologists from all over the world came to dismantle this sleeping army and make it known to the world.

Terracotta Warriors: what the mud hides

In 1979, the pit, 200 meters long by 50 wide, was opened to the public, being designated Unesco heritage in 1987. At first 7500 figures were unearthed, although during the following years new elements began to be discovered such as bronze chariots, sculptures of minor soldiers and remains of armor.

Although there are many experts who they believe that the elaboration of these figures could have a western origin After the supposed arrival of the Greeks to this area 1500 years before the rise to power of the Qin dynasty, at the moment it is still being considered that, despite the minimalist art that reigned in China during that time, the presence of life-size figures (Approximately 1.80, they would have been the idea of ​​the First Emperor in his attempt to reinvent the Chinese sculpture of that time.

Terracotta warriors sport a personality of their own, although judging by their mustache they would have been created based on 10 different oriental profiles. Despite the fact that today they look discolored and it is difficult to appreciate their tones due to the mud, research has confirmed that they were painted in red and pink colors (to simulate the color of the skin), in addition to blue and gold. Their armor was also conceived with terracotta, supported on hidden tiles that accentuated the military features of each of the figures.

Today, the Trench of the Terracotta Warriors can be visited east of Xi'An, turned into a perhaps too touristy reference that can be accessed from the city of Xi'An itself. Different buses leave from the train station and charge a price of 7 yuan (0.88 euros), as is the case with bus 306 (the rest of the minibuses usually charge more expensive, but you can always haggle).

Once you arrive in the city of Xi'An, you have the option of touring it through one of the typical tourist visits offered by the tourist offices or the hotels themselves. Dividing the itinerary at your own pace, dividing time between the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum, the Terracotta Warriors or the also famous Huang Baths is another option.

The entrance price to visit the 8 thousand figures is 110 yuan (13 euros) and the box office opens until 17:00 p.m. in summer and from 08:30 a.m. to 16:30 p.m. in winter time.

A good opportunity to visit the greatest legacy of an emperor whose tomb still lies closed, containing more secrets that, if discovered, could be burned by the current air itself according to experts.

Would you like to visit the famous Terracotta Warriors?


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