2015
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210-209 BCE and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.
The figures, dating from about the late third century BCE, were discovered in1974 by local farmers in Xi’an, Shaanxi province. Varying in height according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals, the figures include warriors, chariots and horses. Estimates were that the three pits containing the army contained more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, most of which remained buried in the pits nearby Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum. A large structure has been built to cover the excavated pits containing the soldiers.
The Terracotta Army has become one of China’s most visited attractions.
