Terra Cotta Museum
The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum in Lintong, Xian, Shaanxi Province. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life. A group of peasants uncovered some pottery while digging for a well nearby the royal tomb in 1974. It caught the attention of archeologists immediately. They came to Xian in droves to study and to extend the digs. They had established beyond doubt that these artifacts were associated with the Qin Dynasty (211-206 BC).
The State Council authorized to build a museum on site in 1975. When completed, people from far and near came to visit. Xian and the Museum of Qin Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses have become landmarks on all travelers' itinerary.
Life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations are the star features at the museum. They are replicas of what the imperial guard should look like in those days of pomp and vigor.
The museum covers an area of 16,300 square meters, divided into three sections: No. 1 Pit, No. 2 Pit, and No. 3 Pit respectively. They were tagged in the order of their discoveries. No. 1 Pit is the largest, first opened to the public on China's National Day, 1979. There are columns of soldiers at the front, followed by war chariots at the back.
No. 2 Pit, found in 1976, is 20 meters northeast of No. 1 Pit. It contained over a thousand warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was unveiled to the public in 1994.Archeologists came upon No. 3 Pit also in 1976, 25 meters northwest of No. 1 Pit. It looked like to be the command center of the armed forces. It went on display in 1989, with 68 warriors, a war chariot and four horses.
Altogether over 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and even weapons have been unearthed from these pits. Most of them have been restored to their former grandeur.
The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses is a sensational archeological find of all times. It has put Xian on the map for tourists. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
On October 10 2009, the 35th anniversary of the discovery of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the logo of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army Museum was announced to the public. The logo geometrically abstracts the terracotta warriors and horses, in which every warrior is generalized into a round dot, and the collective dots resemble the combat formation. Above the dots, a long curve stands for the vast vault and rolling Lishan Mountain. The overall design is exactly like the sealing earth of the Mausoleum and also implies that the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army Museum is a part of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum.
In the meantime, the logo of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum was published. The design perfectly blends the appearance of the sealing earth of the Mausoleum with Chinese character "Qin" written in mini-seal script. The middle pattern is drawn from the decoration of the eaves tile in Qin Dynasty, and also highlights the strength of Qin military. The logo is a sign of the military culture in Qin Dynasty.
| Admission Fee: | CNY 90 (Mar.1 to Nov. 30), CNY 65 (Dec. 1 to Feb. 28/29) |
| Opening Hours: | 08:00 to 18:00 |
| Recommended Time for a Visit: | Three hours |
| Bus Route: | 914 and Tourist Bus 5 (306) at the East Square of Xian Railway Station |