Xi’an
The terracotta warriors, Xian - China
Dubbed as the cradle of Chinese civilization, Xi’an has much to explore in terms of architectural wonders and cultural heritage. Situated in the central part of Guanzhong Plain in Shaanxi Province, some 900km southwest of Beijing, Xian was the capital of China for more than a millennium. It was one of the largest capital cities with the largest population in world history. After centuries of lying dormant, Xian is now one of the fastest developing cities in China, a modern metropolis of more than 2 million people.
Attractions
The terracotta warriors of Emperor Qinshihuang
In March 1974, villagers of the Xiyang Village, while welling, stumbled on the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang’s Tombs. The big tombs are made up of thousands of terracotta figures of soldiers, horses and weapons. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. This is a sight not to be missed and apparently the highlight of the trip to Xian.
When Qin Shi Huang, who was the first Emperor of China, ascended the throne at the age of 13 in 246 BC, the young emperor had work begun on his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. Many treasures and artifacts were found with thousands of life size terracotta figures and horses.
The State Council authorized to build a museum on site in 1975. 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. It features terracotta figures of warriors and horses arranged in battle formations, representing what the imperial guard should look like in ancient time.
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. More than 7,000 pottery soldiers, horses, chariots, and weapons have been unearthed from these pits.
The discovery of the tombs has put Xian on the tourist map and become one of the 10 most famous places in China. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as the world cultural heritages.
The Bell Tower
The Bell Tower, which was built in 1384 in the Ming dynasty, is situated in Xian’s city centre. Made of blue bricks with a square platform, the tower stands 36 meters high, covering more than 1370 square meters. It’s totally made of bricks and wood covered with deep green colored glaze tile. In ancient time, the copper bell (named the Jingyun Bell) was hung in the tower to give the correct time at dawn. The tower now has a new bell, which resembles the original one that becomes the cultural relic. The Bureau of the Xi’an Cultural Relic made a bell replicating the Jingyun Bell with delicate craftsmanship. The new bell is 2.45 meters high, weighs 6.5 tons and has an outside diameter of 1.65 meters.
