At the press conference held in Xian on September 8, 2017, Zhang Yan, the vice curator of Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum (AKA Terracotta Army), stated that the museum was going to adopt a real-name ticketing policy starting October 1st this year, in the hope of controlling the tourist flow more efficiently.

As a symbol of mysterious ancient Chinese civilization, the Terracotta Army, the primary part of Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum, is a popular tourist destination. In recent years, the number of visitors has steadily increased by 10% to 20% annually and more than 90 million tourists have visited since the museum's opening. In 2014, there were 5.09 million visitors. This increased to 5.62 million in 2015, and 5.99 million in 2016. Due to the huge crowds, the quality of the tourists' experience cannot be guaranteed. Therefore, it is time to take measures to control tourist traffic.
 

Terracotta Army

Warriors

Generally speaking, tourists can buy the entrance tickets for Terracotta Army one to seven days ahead of time on the official website or WeChat account of the museum. However, as the English version is not yet ready, foreign travelers may need a Chinese friend to help or purchase the tickets on site one day before their planned visit. It's not compulsory to book a ticket in advance. You can of course show up at the entrance to buy a ticket and then enter, but you will risk being turned away because there is a maximum of 65,000 tourists per day. Note that passport information is required for booking.

On the day of your visit, you need to bring your passport and collect or buy your ticket on spot to enter. Remember that the name on your passport should be consistent with that shown on your ticket.
  As the National Day Holiday from Oct. 1 to 8 is coming, tourists intending to visit the Terracotta Army are advised to book an entrance ticket before travel to ensure a smooth trip. The peak travel period is predicted to span from Oct. 2 to 5, so we recommend avoiding travel on these days. If your schedule cannot be changed, we recommend arriving between 08:00 and 10:00 or 16:00 and 18:00. Those who cannot get a ticket can visit the Lishan Garden and pits K9901 and K0006 inside Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum for free.