I’ve always been fascinated by these figures, and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because artisans created over 8,000 soldiers for Emperor Qinshihuang’s mausoleum in 221 B.C. Emperor Qinshihuang was the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty, a short-lived dynasty, but it is widely believed to have given China its name. Maybe these soldiers were lost to time and only rediscovered in 1974, over 2,000 years after they were created. Maybe it’s just the hubris of someone who thought he needed all his troops in the afterlife. According to the official website for the mausoleum, pit one includes “approximately 6,000 terracotta figures and horses. Over 500 life-size terracotta warriors, 24 terracotta horses, 6 wooden chariots, and a large number of bronze weapons and chariot fittings have been excavated.” Pit 2 includes “939 archers, charioteers, infantrymen, and cavalrymen, 472 terracotta horses, and 89 chariots.” Seeing so many clay soldiers over 2,000 years old in place is a truly unique travel destination.
The Terracotta Army is in the Lintong District of Xi’an, Shaanxi, China. Many tours of China include a stop at the Terracotta Army while visiting other sites in the country.
I know the Terracotta Army would be only one day in what would need to be an epic trip to China, but seeing the statues is one of my ultimate goals.