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Day 10 - The Archeological Wonder
When we got off the train at Xian, we needed to check in to the Hotel first and take a shower before we headed off to visit the Terracotta soldiers. We were also quite hungry as we did not eat anything on the train. After a good breakfast at the hotel, we drove to the site of the Emperor Qin's tomb to see the wonderful 8,000+ strong Terracotta army that he assembled over two thousand years ago.
Chinese civilization has its roots in Shaanxi and Henan provinces where the Huang He, or Yellow River, winds its way through its fertile valleys. From Xi'an the China we know today would be formed thanks to China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. It was Emperor Qin who unified all of the warring clans into a unified nation.
Emperor Qin's tomb lies about 20 miles east of the city and is a vast and wonderful treasure to visit and explore. Peasants accidentally discovered the tomb's terracotta army in 1974 while digging a well. Today modern climate controlled buildings cover the unearthed treasures and provide a protected environment for them.
To date three underground pits, totaling 22,000 square meters, have been discovered with 8,000 life-size terracotta figures of warriors and horses. Each pit lies 15 to 20 feet below current ground level and was constructed with the figures placed in corridors or rooms. These corridors, separated by earthen walls, are paved with pottery bricks on which the warriors and horses stand. Large wooden planks placed over the corridors between the earthen walls and covered by layers of mats made from fibers formed the roofing. This was then covered by earth to conceal the army's location. In the 2,000 years since its construction the roofing collapsed damaging the figures and there is evidence of fires indicating the presence of tomb robbers also.
Qin's terracotta army consists of life-size figures of warriors, depicted in battle dress according to rank an unit, and numerous figures of horses and chariots, and this is only part of what is believed to be his grand tomb. The terracotta army lies approximately a mile east of Qin's main tomb which is said to contain spectacular objects. To date only trial digs of the main tomb site have been completed and they have yet to find the main entrance to the tomb.
Emperor Qin ordered the construction of his tomb when he was only 13 years old, an order that involved hundreds of thousands of workers and thirty-six years to complete.700,000 forced laborers were sacrificed to construct his tomb which was begun as soon as he ascended the throne. All workers and childless concubines were interred with him to safeguard its secrets .
Construction of the terracotta warriors is interesting and, considering they're over 2,000 years old, very high-tech for the period. Prior to Emperor Qin Chinese pottery was relatively small and fired at low temperatures. Studies of these life-size pottery figures, weighing between 242 and 660 pounds, indicate they were fired at much higher temperatures, between 950 and 1,050 degrees centigrade, resulting in a much harder pottery figures. Constructed from local clay all of the figures were constructed essentially using the same methods. The head, arms and bodies of the soldiers are all hollow with the legs being solid pottery. The same is true of the horses, their head and body are hollow with solid legs. Archaeologist believe that separate molds were used to make the various body parts, with these parts being glued together prior to firing the pottery. The human heads were made from a two-piece mold that were joined together later on. The ears, nose, hair and other facial features were individually sculpted and added prior to firing. In addition to the facial features the armor, belt hooks, shoe ties and costume details were also independently sculpted. As a result each warrior has a different and unique appearance, no two are exactly the same. The names of the craftsmen creating each figure was inscribed on the warrior's robe, leg or armor. Similar practices were also employed for sculpting the horses making them unique also.
Being one of the premier attractions in China, the place was teeming with tourists. There were three pits that are open to the public and pit 1 is in the most advanced state of restoration. In Pit 1 the terracotta warriors are arranged in typical battle formation. Officers and soldiers of various ranks stand in 11 columns with others in horse drawn chariots. Each soldier is life-size and dressed according to their rank and unit within the army. Many carried spears, bows and arrows, and other instruments. Unlike the warriors and horses these were the actual articles and have disintegrated over the two thousand years the army has lain dormant and covered by the earth. Pit 1 is estimated to contain about 6,000 terracotta warriors.
Looking at the great attention to detail that these artisans had, It's evident that they took great pride in their work. We are indeed fortunate today to be able to stand before Emperor Qin's mighty army and behold its beauty.
After spending so much time in Pit 1, we realized that we still need to cover the other two Pits. Pits 2 and 3 are still being worked on and therefore it is under various stages of excavation. We quickly walked through the exhibits there as we were behind our schedule. Tonight, we will be attending a spectacular cultural and dance show presented by the famous Xian Dance Company. It was a dinner-theatre setup where you are entertained while you are having dinner. The house was full both tourists and locals. The show lasted for almost two hours. Again, the colors, the stage craft, the choreography, the music and the dancing were superb. I am not sure why this dance company is not taking such a spectacular show to other parts of the world.
We finally settled back in our hotel room around midnight. Tomorrow, we will be on our last leg of our trip. We will fly to Beijing and then board our long return flight to US.