Page 8 - Xi-an China Terracotta Warriors
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mercury, a “sky” studded with jewels representing  was followed and they began to enlarge the wall
                                                                                                                             the stars and all guarded by grave robber traps  built initially during the old Tang dynasty (618-907),
                                                                                                                             that would challenge Indiana Jones. So for now  creating the modern Xi’an City Wall.  It is the most
                                                                                                                             you’ll  have to rely on your imagination to envi-  complete city wall that has survived in China, as well
                                                                                                                             sion the emperor’s tomb.                          as being one of the largest ancient military defensive
                                                                                                                                                                               systems in the world.
                                                                                                                             Away from the pits, a museum houses a stunning bronze
                                                                                                                             chariot and horses, and other paraphernalia found with  The  Xi’an  City  Wall   now stands 40 feet
                                                                                                                             the warriors, including bronze vessels and weapons.   tall, 10 feet wide at the top and 50 feet thick at the
                                                                                                                                                                               bottom. It covers 8.5 miles in length with a deep
                                                                                                                             Many tourists visit Xi’an for only a day to see the  moat surrounding it. Every 120 metres, there is a
                                                                                                                             Terracotta  Army but there are plenty of other ac-  rampart  which  extends  out  from  the  main  wall.
                                                                                                                             tivities and sights to keep visitors occupied in the  There are a total of 98 ramparts on the wall, which
                                                                                                                             area, including the historical relics at the Shaanxi  were built to defend against the enemy climbing
                                                                                                                             History Museum, the mosque in the Muslim quarter,  up the wall. Each rampart has a sentry building,
                                                                                                                             climbing the Big Goose Pagoda or heading to other  in which the soldiers could protect the entire
                                                                                                                             archaeological sites that dot the countryside.    wall without exposing themselves.  The distance
                                                                                                                                                                               between every two ramparats is just within the
                                                                                                                             When Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming  range of an arrow shot from either side, so that they
                                                                                                                             Dynasty  (1368-1644),  captured  Huizhou,  a  hermit  could shoot at the attacking enemy. On the outer
                                                                                                                             named Zhu Sheng admonished him that he should  side of the city wall there are 5,958 battlements so
                                                                                                                             ‘build high walls, store abundant food supplies and  soldiers could look out and shoot at the enemy.
                                                                                                                             take time to be an Emperor’, so that he could for-  On the inner side, parapets were built to protect
                                                                                                                             tify the city and unify the other states. The advice  the soldiers from falling off.
          In Xi’an,  discover the power of an army



          of terracotta warriors crafted for the afterlife.

          Nothing about the countryside surrounding the cen-  to preserve the warriors. In the largest pit, there are
          tral Chinese city of Xi’an hints at the archaeological  6000 warriors. Only 1000 are unearthed, lined up
          wonders  buried  beneath  the  surface. This  was  cer-  and ready for battle.
          tainly how the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang,
          intended it. Ruling in the 3rd century BC, he ordered  As you get closer you can see no two warriors are
          700,000 workers to build a terracotta army for his af-  the same; all have different bodies, faces and ex-
          terlife and killed them when his tomb was completed  pressions. They were modelled on the hierarchy of
          38 years later, so no one would reveal its location.  real armies, with generals, archers and foot soldiers,
                                                            and guides will point out the differences from the
          In fact, were it not for farmers digging a well in 1974,  uniforms and where they stand in the battle forma-
          the famed terracotta warriors might still be buried.  tion. One can almost picture the craftsmen absorbed
          But the secret is definitely out now. The huge mau-  in their work and the labourers hauling the war-
          soleum is one of China’s most popular sights, draw-  riors into position. Even the soles of the warriors
          ing about 2 million tourists every year.          shoes have intricate patterning.  It’s the same spine-
                                                            tingling feeling  one  gets  when  seeing  the  ancient
          There are thought to be about 8000 soldiers and 150  temples of Angkor in Cambodia or Egypt’s pyramids.
          cavalry horses, of which only a fraction have been
          excavated. These exquisite life-sized figures are be-  Work will continue on the site for many years, which
          ing faithfully restored. They would have been even  makes it feel like a living museum, despite it being a
          more striking in their original painted form but oxi-  tomb. If you return again, you might be able to see
          dization has worn away their vivid colours.       a pit not yet open to the public containing acrobats
                                                            and dancers, presumed to be the emperor’s afterlife
          Only one warrior unearthed so far has been discov-  entertainment. The Chinese government has elected
          ered completely intact, and each warrior can take  to preserve the main tomb by leaving it undisturbed
          three restorers a year to painstakingly piece togeth-  for the time being.  Ancient writings suggest the
          er. Three  excavated  pits  are  open  to  the  public  at  tomb itself is incredibly sumptuous with a floor laid
          the site, all beneath what looks like giant hangars  out like a map of the empire with rivers of flowing
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