lørdag 12. desember 2020

A 2,000 year-old army and light shows: Shaanxi is where the past and present meet

The world-famous Terracotta Army was constructed to accompany the tomb of China's first emperor as an afterlife guard. The site houses thousands of detailed life-size terracotta soldier models to represent the guard troops of the first emperor Qin Shi Huang. They were moulded in parts, fired, assembled and painted. The museum consists of three vaults and an exhibition hall, and the best views are from the front of the vault around the corners.

Excavated from 1974 to 1984, these bronze models of chariots and horses are one of the artefacts you can see at the Terracotta Army. The models depict a driver standing before an umbrella as he commands the horses with the reins in his hands. Decorated with engravings and gold and silver ornaments, this artefact is just one of the many exhibits included in the exhibition hall. The two vaults around it are arranged in strict accordance with the ancient directives on the art of war – facing east towards the ancient enemies of Qin state (and towards the entrance).