Tag Archives: Qin Shi Huang

The Terra-cotta Warrior and Horse Museum in Xi’an

The downstairs accompanying pit of the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum is the largest underground military museum in the world.

The terracotta warriors is one of the greatest discoveries in the history of world archeology. In 1978 former french president Jacques chirac said: “The world has seven wonders, the discovery of terracotta warriors can be regarded as the eighth wonder. without viewing the terracotta warriors, you can not be considered to come to China.” Since then, the terracotta warriors was known as the eighth wonder in the world. Up till now, the archaeologists have excavated three pits at the site.

Qin Shi Huang mausoleum is located in scenic spots and historic sites of Lintong Lishan, Xian, Shanxi Province, China.

According to Historical Records: Qin Shi Huang began to manage and construct his cemetery when he succeeded to the throne at thirteen years old, the prime minister Li Si presided over the plan and design of the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum, the senior general Zhang Han kept watch over the work of these craftsmen, it took thirty-eight years to build the Qinshihuang mausoleum. Three exposed pits with clay warriors and horses is the accessory pit of the Qin Shi Huang mausoleum, 1500 meters to the east of the cemetery. The accessory pit with clay warriors and horses to sit west to east, three pits is in the shape of a triangle. No 1 pit is the first to be discovered, the form of No 1 pit is rectangle, It is 62 metres from north to south and 230 metres from east to west, No 1 pit is about 5 metres deep, the area of No 1 pit is 14260 m2, No 1 pit having sloping doorways on all four sides, there are the two accessory pits on the left and right of No 1 pit, Now they are known as No 2 pit and No 3 pit. The downstairs accompanying pits are reasonably arranged and odd-structured.

In 1974, when the villagers drought wells, they found an underground architectural and ceramic tomb figures in LinTong County, Shanxi Province. After the excavation of the archaeologists, the archaeologists revealed the secrets of the Qin figurines buried in the ground more than 2,000 years. In 1975, Chinese government decided to establish a museum on the site of the Qin figurines pit. Terracotta warriors museum exhibited to the domestic and foreign visitors in October 1, 1979. The terracotta armies were in battle array, the whole style of terracotta warrior and horse is virile, robust, succinct. If you looked closely, the terracotta warrior and horse were different in face, hair, body, charm: some pottery horses’s ears erected, some pottery horses opened their mouths and gave a loud neigh, some pottery horses shut their yaps and stood still. All of these terracotta warriors and horse are  very full of artistic charm.