Terracotta Army

Construction of the mausoleum began in 246 BC, when the future First Emperor was still a young king of Qin, and continued until his death in 210 BC. UNESCO describes a grave mound more than 50 metres high inside a double-walled enclosure, surrounded by around 200 accompanying pits containing life-size soldiers, horses, bronze chariots and weapons.

The army lay forgotten until March 1974, when farmers digging a well in Lintong struck fragments of clay figures. Excavation revealed three main pits: Pit 1 holds the main battle formation of infantry in parallel corridors, Pit 2 mixes cavalry, archers and chariots, and the smaller Pit 3 appears to be a command post. Estimates put the total at well over 8,000 figures, many still unexcavated.

The mausoleum was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1987. Archaeologists continue to work in the pits, so visitors often see restorers piecing figures back together.

For people in Shaanxi, the warriors are a matter of deep regional pride, a reminder that Xi'an was the seat of China's first empire and later the Tang capital Chang'an. Replica warriors appear on everything from souvenir stalls to hotel lobbies, and local craftsmen in Lintong still make figures using traditional clay techniques. The site remains a working archaeological dig, and seeing restorers at work in the pits is part of the experience.