- Qin Dynasty
- Emperor Qin Shi Huang
- Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum
- Terracotta Warriors
- Pit 1
- Third Excavation of Pit 1
- Pit 2
- Pit 3
- Accessory Pits
- Lifelike Terracotta Figures
- Green-Faced Terracotta Warrior
- Dressing of Terracotta Warriors
- Bronze Chariots and Horses
- Bronze Cranes & Acrobatics Figures
- Weaponry
- Military Formation
- Qin Artisans
- From Rudiment to Masterwork
- Stories before Unearthing
- Terracotta Warriors Pictures
- Terracotta Warriors Video
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).
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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. 
Bronze Chariot and 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.
Logos of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Terracotta Army Museum and Mausoleum Site Museum
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.
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| 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 |
Recommended Tours including the visit to Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses:
Terracotta Warriors Tour: One-day to visit Terracotta Warriors and Horses
Historical Xian: 3 Days Visit to Terra Cotta Warriors & Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Xian Impression: 4 Days to Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum & Mt. Huashan





Travelers' Voices on Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses
1.
Nov. 19,2009 16:18 Reply
Mr.Gambino(U S A) said:
would like any and all info or updates of recovery.... very interesting
thanks , johnny
2.
Nov. 10,2009 17:33 Reply
Mr.YANG(AUSTRALIA) said:
what techniques did they use when excavating this ?! PLEASE REPLY
3.
Nov. 5,2009 11:11 Reply
Mrs.burkett(missippi) said:
i think this is soooooo intresting
Nov. 8,2009 17:57
Mr.marcia douglas replied:
I feel that it was so many violence
4.
Nov. 7,2009 01:55 Reply
Ms.Beth Kaplan(USA) said:
I'm sure the Terracotta warriors/horses are very interesting. The question of
*WHY* Qin Shi Huang had this army still hasn't been answered. Like I said, I
can't see him as having been much interested in art (unless I'm very much
mistaken).
Nov. 7,2009 21:01
Mr.ANDY2008(China) replied:
The answer is very simple, that the emperor prefer violence to art. The First Qin Emperor want to own a powerful army in another world, that is, the heaven, so he made so many terracotta soldiers. If he had known the Atom-Bomb is the most violent weapon, he would have had some buried in his tomb with the soldiers.
5.
Nov. 2,2009 22:57 Reply
Ms.Mary(usa) said:
I am sure that the emperor's body has been found. I am not sure where, though. I've been to China and seen everything for myself, and the people at the museum said something about the emperor's body being found on a mountain or something.
6.
Oct. 14,2009 10:58 Reply
Mr.alvaro(usa) said:
i will be in a business trip to shangai and have one day available and would like to visit the site of the terracota warriors, what is the best way to organize the trip
thanks
alvaro
Oct. 14,2009 21:35
Mr.ANDY2008(China) replied:
if you have enough budget, please take a taxi from to the Terracotta and it'll cost you about 250RMB. Or your pocket is rather restricted, take the airport shuttle bus to the trainstation and then take another bus(No.6) in the east of the station square.
Oct. 19,2009 08:52
Mr.Sergio(Brazil) replied:
Correction: bus 306!
But if you're in Shanghai, how do you plan to go to Xian? Plan this first as you have 1300km distance!
Nov. 1,2009 07:35
Ms.Val(Malaysia) replied:
by the way, the exact location of the Emperor's body is yet to be found
Nov. 2,2009 20:59
Mrs.Kim(Canada) replied:
There is an overnight train from Beijing to Xi'an so I would not be surprised if there was one from Shanghai. The cost was about 00 USD, including breakfast. You slept on the train, visited the site the following day and took the overnight train back. Well worth the cash - I was extremely silly not to do the trip. The train from Beijing (if my memory is right) was about 9 hours... I should think would be longer from Shanghai.
7.
Oct. 16,2009 18:25 Reply
Ms.not telling(USA ) said:
Terra Cotta warriors seem so great! I wish i could go see them! But i do have a question! Where is shi huang's actual body located?? I've been looking it up on google and the only answer i got was that it hasn't been discovered yet! But of course I don't know when that was posted so it could have been a while ago! I've also seen comments on some website like this where people say that is was near by, and also in the middle of pit 1....... I need to know for a paper!! help!
Oct. 16,2009 22:33
Mr.Andrew replied:
The body of emperor Qin Shi Huang should be buried at the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. You can check this website: http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/shaanxi/xian/terra_cotta_army/mausoleum_1.htm
Oct. 17,2009 20:23
Ms.not telling(USA) replied:
OK, I now know that it was at least found and I believe it and all, but why would Shi Huang want to be buried 22 MILES away from his "army"????? How can they "protect" him from that far away?? and it says that he was more east from the soldiers, and the enemies are in the east, so he is closer to the enemies with his army behind him...... it just doesn't seem like a good plan? Am I right about this location or am i missing something?
Oct. 17,2009 21:48
Mr.Hello replied:
I don't agree with u. The layout of the mausoleum is from the consideration of the Emperor's wish to be immortal. When he was alive, he was always pursuing the way to be immortal. He yearned for the fairyland in the eastern sea. So couldn't get the immortal pill when alive, he faced east in the hope of being delivered to the fairyland.
He had already conquered the other states when alive, so the distribution of his mausoleum showed his will of leading his army and delivered to the fairyland. This is my opinion.
Nov. 2,2009 00:51
Ms.Chun Yu replied:
The Terracotta Army is actually to the east of the Mausoleum, and the burial chamber has not been excavated for technical reasons.
8.
Nov. 1,2009 04:00 Reply
Mrs.tommyo(Ukraine) said:
I have just visited Beijing, Qingdao and Xian. Of the 3 cities....Xian was my favourite. It is how I always imagine Chinese cities to look. Most of the buildiongs within the city walls are in the traditional style....even the ones built recently and the skyscrapers are outside the city walls.
The terracotta warriors and horses were awesome - I can understand why they are called the 8th Wonder of the World. Also visited the the terracotta warrior factory, City walls and gatehouses, Wid Goose Pagoda and Shaanxi Provincial Museum. Toroughly enjoyed my visit....Xian is a must for anyone visiting China!!
9.
Oct. 28,2009 08:19 Reply
Mr.retard(usa) said:
these are freaking awesome
10.
Oct. 22,2009 08:21 Reply
Mr.andrew(scotland) said:
Hello. i am currently trying to study a topic at school and we are aloud to choose what to write about and i am thinking about the terracotta warriors as a choice. do you have any helpfull advice as to what i can write because there seems to be a lot to disscuss on the topic and i have no fixed point. thanks
Oct. 28,2009 02:18
Mr.ScoogyPoogy(USA) replied:
Deal with your own work, how can we help. Find a fixed point yourself. Pint out some info or go to a local library!