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Army of Terra Cotta Warriors
This is the classic view that most people recognize. Entering the main pavilion, one is overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of this project. Welcome to Xi'an - the last stop on Jill's China express. The highlight was a visit to see the famed Terracotta Warriors. In 1974, while tilliing his fields a farmer began to uncover shards of what was thought to be ancient pottery. As more and more pieces appeared it became clear that what he had found was not simply the remains of a village burial site, but something much bigger. I remember hearing about this archaeological find while I was in High School -- never did I dream that someday I would visit the Terracotta Warriors!!
As the story goes, China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang had an army of warriors crafted from clay, the idea being that they would accompany him into the aterlife and protect him from the ill will he had sown in this lifetime. The year was 210 BC -- 2200 years ago. It's still not certain exactly how many warriors comprised his army, but what we do know is that the project entailed painstaking craftsmanship. There are hundreds or archaeologists on staff at the pits, and new discoveries are being made all the time.
Hokey Pose
We fell for it! For $1.50 you could take a photo with models of the warriors. So silly! It's probably one of the largest and most important ongoing excavations in the world.
Of course I had seen and heard about the Warriors through the years, but as my visit to the actual site approached I tried not to look at pictures or find out more about them. I wanted the experience to overwhelm me, and it did! Entering a huge, covered pavilion there are rows and rows of soldiers lined up in trenches. Although each clay sculpture is unique, the experience of seeing them en masse was breathtaking. Wa walked through areas where excavation and restoration are still ongoing, and the magnitude of the project became clearer. Totally amazing!!
Millions of visitors pass through this world heritage site, and the visit was very well organized. Although there must have been over a thousand people there while we were there, it never felt crowded or uncomfortable. The scope of the space is enormous, and it's not known how much more there is yet to uncover. After visiting the trenches, we had the opportunity to see
Life-Size Soldiers
So far nearly 2,000 figures have been excavated and restored. There are expected to be thousands more still buried. some of the finest examples up close (in glass cases). Some of them still had traces of the original pigments and at close range we could appreciate how intricately detailed each warrior was -- right down to the tread on the shoe of a raised foot.
Wherever you go in Xi'an and environs, there are full-sized copies of this national treasure. Of course Pam and I got suckered into taking photos with some of the models. Rather hokey, touristy poses, but good fun! I hope I don't bore you with all these Warrior pix - having shot hundreds of photos, it was hard to narrow it down to the very best. Be sure to scroll down past the Terracotta pictures to see the rest of Xi'an!!
If you’ve been following my China journey, you’ll already know some of the folks we met in Xi’an from the Individual Glimpses Blog Entry. Remember the dancing girls at the florist shop? How about Ashley & her mom at the tea shoppe,? And then there were our three university student street food guides.
Ready for Battle
Every soldier was unique - different faces, uniforms, headdresses. Some still had traces of the original colors. Remarkable artistry. In this last China blog installment you'll meet one more - the daughter of devout Muslim parents whom we met at the Great Mosque. She comes from a small rural village, but her family was visiting her in Xi'an where she is studying at the university. Her dream is to become an arborist and work with fruit trees. She is finding it hard to eat only halal food in the dormitory cafeteria, and she is questioning her desire to follow her family’s religious fervor. While her parents were in the prayer hall (well, her father was - her mom had to pray outside the main doors) she shared her doubts with us and asked us about our respective religious beliefs. She spoke very good English and confessed to us that she felt Buddhist leanings but was hesitant to share her feelings with her parents, who would be totally uncomprehending of her wishes. It was a most interesting conversation, and I think she was glad to bounce her ideas off us.
We spent several hours in the stunning gardens of the Great Mosque, partly escaping the extreme heat
Warrior Jill
Another goofy tourist shot. Who could resist? of the day and partly waiting for the afternoon call to prayer. The Prayer Hall doors were wide open so we could peek in as folks were arriving and assembling, and even listen as the prayer was in session. While living in Malaysia I learned a fair bit about the tenets of Islam and the practice of daily prayer times, but I'd never been allowed a glimpse as intimate as this. It was nice to see the Islamic art on arches and buidings - no human figures - all swirls and floral motifs. The Muslim dress felt familiar as I'd lived and worked among many Muslims in my four years in Kuala Lumpur. As more and more people arrived for afternoon prayer, the number of shoes in the doorways piled up -- all kinds of footwear from flip-flops to traditional hand-made slippers to elegant business wing-tips.
Two of the evenings we were in Xi-an we stayed out after dark - a rarity for us since Pam and I are both very early risers. The first night we went to see a Tourist Production of music and dance. It
Shards to be Restored
This ongoing dig trench gave us a glimpse of the condition in which the warriors are generally found. Unimaginable how many hours go into restoration. was very hokey, but extremely enjoyable! Brightly colored costumes and impeccable choreography, traditional musical instruments and some interesting lighting effects. The best part about going to the show was our nighttime walk back to the hotel when we saw a whole different face of the city.
The following evening we went to see what was touted as the largest water and light display in the world. China seems to be very keen to have the biggest, tallest, busiest, largest everything!! We took a taxi to the Big Goose Pagoda and after a Baskin Robbins Ice Cream Cone (everyone who worked there spoke perfect English!) we made our way through the shops and the crowds, finding a good viewing spot above the terraces of hundreds of fountains. After waiting a long time for the show to start, we only stuck around for the first few songs. Not much variety in their dancing waters and colored lights? Besides, it was past our bedtime!
Thanks for sharing this China adventure with me! I know there were a
Terracotta Horses
Even the horses were beautifully crafted. This was the area of figures awaiting restoration. LOT of blog entries (13 to be exact) but I felt a need to document this remarkable experience and breaking it up into categories seemed the best way to do so. Now I have just a bit of catching up to do -- my family reunion visit in Calif. and my travels in Ecuador with my Atlanta "sister", Michelle. I'm currently giving some private English lessons in Puerto Lopez on the Ecuador coast, and although the internet connection in my cabana is spotty, I'm managing to get in some computer time between classes in town. So, stay tuned!!
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Rachel
non-member comment
Love it
Love it! Xi'an was my favorite big city in China. We ride bikes around the city wall; best day ever! And the Mosque and the muslim quarter were so interesting. So fun reliving it through your pictures and comments.