Terracotta Warriors and Horses

» Xi'an, Shaan Xi

Terracotta Warriors and Horses Overview & Map Weather Transportation Information

Ranking as one of Chinas' and the worlds' top historical sights, the Terracotta Warriors are not to be missed by any visitor to China. The warriors stand guard in battle formation over Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum which has yet to be excavated. Their discovery in 1974 by local farmers was perhaps the most significant archeological discovery of the 20th Century. Work is ongoing at this 22,000 square meter site, which houses around 8,000 life-size pottery warriors and horses. The 2000 year old site has fast become the main attraction in Lintong County, Shaanxi province.

Who work for it

In 246 B.C., Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of Qin, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life.

"Qin Shihuang" must know

Emperor Qin Shihuang (259 B.C. - 210 B.C.) fascinates people when they talk about the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses - his two greatest achievements to China. As the first emperor of China, he indeed has a profound influence on Chinese history and culture.

When Qin Shihuang unified China, he considered his achievement surpassing the legendary "San Huang (three emperors)" and "Wu Di (five sovereigns)". He created a new title for himself: "Huangdi" together with "Shi (means the first)", hence get the name "Qin Shihuang" or "Qin Shi Huangdi", which means he was the first emperor of China. He hoped his descendants would follow in his steps to rule China for eternity.

What to visit

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

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.

Terra Cotta Pit No.1

230 meters east to west, and 62 meters north to south. At a depth of five meters, it is cavern-like and constructed from earth and wood. Five slopping entrances reach down to it from the east and west. Ten partitioning walls separate the underground army into different columns. The walls are reinforced by stout beams, which are covered by reeds and earth. The floor is paved with black bricks.

There are more than 6,000 terracotta warriors and horses in Pit No. 1, marshaled into battle line formation. Three columns facing out on the east act as vanguard. Each squad is 70 strong, making it 210 troopers altogether. They flank out left and right on the south and the north. The rear guard is on the west. They are armed with crossbows.

No. 2 Pit

The Terra Cotta Pit No. 2 is 20 meters due east of Pit No. 1. It is 6,000 square meters subdivided into L-Shaped foursquare sections, where archeologists unearthed 1,000 warriors, 500 horses, and 89 wooden chariots. The horses are both for pulling chariots and for carrying riders. It reflects a vibrant and dynamic atmosphere.

• First Section
  First group, 334 archers, is lined up in eight clusters. They are armed with crossbows. Some 160, clad in heavy protective armor, are in the front line kneeling position, and others stand behind to shoot over their heads.
  
• Second Section
  Second group, 64 chariots, is also in eight clusters. Each chariot is officered by an archer, supported by a soldier on either side, and reinforced by another infantryman in the flank. It is an improvement on chariot tactics.
  
• Third Section
  At the center of Pit No. 2, the third section has 19 war chariots and around 100 warriors. They are three clusters: the right, the left, and the rear. Each has chariots up at front. Messengers and archers hurry about on their business.
  
• Fourth Section
  The fourth section is due north. There are three clusters, consisting of six chariots, 124 vaulting horses and men. Each chariot carries two: the charioteer and his scout. The cavalryman looks ferocious, and holds a bow in his hand. The wooden chariots have rotten away with age, but they leave clear unmistakable marks on the floor.

No. 3 Pit

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.

Terra Cotta Pit No.3

The terracotta warriors are posted on guard duties. There are animal bones and deer horns strewn about, probably sacrifices offered on the eve of a battle. You could find the terracotta warriors with painted faces and wearing painted armor. Archeology experts attribute to this group the command center or headquarters group for those in the other two pits.

Something suggest to see

Bronze Chariots

Two large scale-models of bronze chariots came unearthed in December, 1980, about 20 meters east of Emperor Qin's mausoleum. They were tagged Chariot No.1 and No.2 respectively. Both required extensive restorations, over two and half years, before displayable in public. No.2 was unveiled first -- in 1983, then No.1 -- in 1988.

The bronze chariot models add to the nation's great archeological treasures. These represent the largest finds of earliest delicate fine bronze work anywhere in the world.

• No.1 Chariot
  It is the vanguard, a two-wheeled vehicle drawn by a team of four strong horses. There is only one seat for the driver, whose eyes are glued to the road ahead. There is a large umbrella providing shade from the sun.
  
• No. 2 Chariot
  It is larger than the lead chariot. The horses are richly adorned with gold and silver gears. There are three windows, one out front, and one on each side in the compartment, and a door opens at the back. One may open and close the windows and the door, and look in at the exquisite interior. The roof is umbrella shaped, said to be symbolic of the round sky.

"Terra Cotta" figures

The figures are mostly 1.8 meters (5 feet 11 inches) in height, the lower part of the body being solid and the upper part hollow. Originally the figures were painted in bright colors however, over the two thousand years they have silently stood guard, the color has faded and worn off.

The squarish faces of the warriors feature broad foreheads and wide, thick-lipped mouths. Their eyes focus on the far distance and some bear an ornate hairstyle. The muscular horses have big bright eyes, large nostrils, stout legs and plump waists and hips and are poised ready to gallop.

• Tunic infantryman
  Unearthed in Pit 1 wear a knee-length tunic, short trousers, puttees and curved shoes and would carried crossbows in their hands. Their hair is wound in topknots while some have beards. The clothes were designed to allow freedom of movement.
  
• Armored soldiers
  Unearthed in Pit 1, stand 189 cm in height and would each have had a sword in his left hand. They were heavily armored with a brown cape and a red cap and green shin guards.

When to visit

• Opening Hours: 8:00a.m. - 6:00p.m.
• Recommended time for a visit: Three hours

Getting there

By bus

914 and tourist Bus 5 (306) at the East Square of Xi'an Railway Station head to there.

Attractions around » Xi'an, Shaan Xi

Natural Scene

• Huaqing Pool
• Mt. Huashan

Historical Site

• Xi'an City Wall
• Big Wild Goose Pagoda
• Great Mosque
• Drum Tower
• Bell Tower
• Tomb of Qin Shihuang
• Small Wild Goose Pagoda
• Ba Xian An Temple

Cultural Site

• Terracotta Warriors and Horses
• Shaanxi Provincial History Museum
• Xi'an Banpo Museum
• Forest of Stone Steles Museum

Nightlife

• Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show

Day Entertainment & Sports

• Tang Paradise
• Golf in Xi'an

Shopping & Leisure

• Moslem Street
• Shuyuanmen Street
• Xi'an Antique Market
• Wenbaozhai Tourist Shopping Center
• Century Ginwa Shopping Mall

Terracotta Warriors and Horses Highlights

Museum in Great China

• Forbidden City
• Terracotta Warriors and Horses
• Shaanxi Provincial History Museum
• Sanxingdui Ruins
• Dunhuang Museum
• National Museum of China
• Shanghai Museum
• Weijin Art Gallery
• Gansu Provincial Museum
• Xi'an Banpo Museum
• Dinosaur Museum
• Han Yang Ling Museum
• Forest of Stone Steles Museum
• Tibet Museum
• Jingdezhen Ceramic History Museum
• Dongba Museum
• Chongqing Three Gorges Museum
• Hubei Provincial Museum
• Shanghai History Museum
• Great Wall Museum
• Memorial Hall to the Victims in the Nanjing Massacre
• Han Dynasty Tomb Museum
• Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall
• Xianyang Museum
• Shandong Provincial Museum
• Nanjing Museum
• Meteorite Museum
• Salt History Museum
• Inner Mongolia Museum
• Hunan Provincial Museum
• National Tea Museum
• China National Silk Museum
• Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine
• Luoyang Museum
• Chen Family Temple

Terracotta Warriors and Horses FAQ & Travelers's Tips

  Weather

1. Is the weather fine all year round in Xi'an?
2. What is the best season to visit Xi'an?

  Food

1. What can we have for dinner in Xi'an?
2. What is Xi'an local delicacy?

  Shopping

1. Can I use my credit card when visiting the attractions in Xi'an?
2. Where can I buy chinese medicine?
3. Where can I find the department stores and supermarkets?
4. What souvenirs can we buy in Xi'an?

  Travel

1. What taboos do we need to pay attention to in Xi'an?
2. What should we prepare for our visit to Mt.Huashan?
3. Where can I meet muslim friends in Xi'an?
4. What about the toilet facilities in Xi'an?

  Customs

1. Where can I see Shadow Puppets in Xi'an?
2. Why does Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show become so popular here?
3. How about the dress for Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show?

  Other Hints

1. What is Xi'an time?
2. What to pack for Xi'an tours?
3. Where is the post office in Xi'an?
4. Is the internet bar available in Xi'an?
5. What about other useful numbers in Xi'an?
6. What is emergency number in Xi'an?

• Is the weather fine all year round in Xi'an?

  Xi'an is in a warm temperate zone, and has a continental monsoon climate with four distinct seasons; Xi'an is hot and wet in summer, dry and seldom snowy in winter and is prone to extended spells of rain in spring and autumn.

  The temperature during spring (March to May) increases rapidly, but is prone to fluctuation. The average temperature in March is 7.9 centigrade, rising to 14.1 centigrade in April and 19.4 centigrade in May.

  Summer in Xi'an (June to August) becomes both hot and humid, with the highest average temperature being 32 centigrade and the maximum temperature of ten above 40 centigrade.

  Xi'an also experiences a fair amount of precipitation during autumn, (September to November). The early autumn period is cool and can be overcast, late autumn is usually fine.

  Winter (December to February) is dry and cold with a little snow. The coldest month is January, with an average temperature of 0 Centigrade.

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• What is the best season to visit Xi'an?

  Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the best seasons during the year for Xi'an tour. With the pleasant temperature, gentle breezes and warm sunshine, spring is a good time of year for outdoor activities and traveling. Late autume is also worth to visit here.

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• What can we have for dinner in Xi'an?

  As the capital of table delicacies, Xi'an is famous for the delicious Shaanxi snacks, the delicate Guangdong cuisine, in a sweet and mild flavor. Various kinds of fashionable foreign delicacies, and the popular Sichuan cuisine, such as hot pot, in a spicy flavor.

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• What is Xi'an local delicacy?

  When you are travelling in Xi'an, one delicacy you will surely to find on the menu is the dumpling.

  Xi'an, an ancient city that has been the nation's capital during no less than eleven dynasties spanning more than a thousand years is regarded as the home if not the birthplace of the great dumpling tradition.

  It was here that the art of creating the most tasty and delicate of dumplings was refined and no visit to the city is complete unless you partake of a dumpling dinner.

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• Can I use my credit card when visiting the attractions in Xi'an?

  No, most attractions are not allowed to pay credit card, for your convinence, it is much better to bring some cash money along the trip. most 4 star hotels or 5 star hotels provide a good service to exchange into RMB at front desk.

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• Where can I buy chinese medicine?

  You can also find the traditional chineses medicine market in Xi'an, which embody the local culture of chinese medical treatment.

  In Chinese medicine, the links between body, mind and spirit have always been recognized and indeed lie at the heart of the system. There is a saying like western medicine cure the external causes but Chinese Medicine cures the internal causes.

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• Where can I find the department stores and supermarkets?

  Department stores
  

  Minsheng Department Store, at No. 103, Jiefang Lu
  Parkson Shopping Center is popular in Xian and now there are three Parkson:
  

  1. Xi'an Luck Parkson: 119, Dong Dajie (Opposite the Hyatt Regency Hotel)
  2. Xi'an Shidai Parkson: Shidai Shengdian Plaza, Xi Dajie
  3. Xi'an Chang'an Parkson: 38, Chang'an Zhong Lu

  Supermarkets

  1. South Gate Branch (Downtown) is situated in Fen Xiang, Nan Dajie.
     Bus: No. 600, 603
  2. Chang'an Lu Branch (South Suburb) is located at the northeast corner of the crossing of Shida Lu and Chang'an Lu.
     Bus: No.19, 44, 101, 215, 239, 408, 600, 603
  3. Jin Hua Lu Branch (East Suburb) is situated near the crossing of Changle Lu and Jinhua Lu.
     Bus: No. 4, 10, 11, 13, 27, 43, 105, 209, 303, 402, 604, 605
  4. Lian Hu Branch (West Suburb) is located at the southwest of the crossing of Daqing Lu and Taoyuan Lu.
     Bus: No.2, 12, 45, 103, 104, 207, 210, 222, 223, 224, 301, 303, 605, 803
  5. North Suburb Branch is located along the Bei Erhuan Lu (Northern 2nd Ring Road).
     Bus: No. 18, 17, 238, 228, 236, 609, 600
  6. Nan Erhuan Branch is situated along the Nan Erhuan Lu (Southern 2nd Ring Road).
     Bus: No.24, 46, 308, 311, 608

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• What souvenirs can we buy in Xi'an?

  Xi'an is a great place to do some fantastic Chinese souvenir shopping, especially for cultural items.

  Some excellent offerings specific to Xi'an include: Chinese calligraphy rubbings, Tang pottery replicas, Terracotta Warrior replicas, Folk paintings, Folk paper cuttings and Green porcelain.

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• what taboos do we need to pay attention to in Xi'an?

  Xi'an is a multiethnic regin, of which the population of Islam is approximately one half, it is a taboo to eat pork and the flesh of animals which died of natrual course, in order not to trouble yourselves, you'd better not to eat anything made of pork and talk about pig in any muslim restaurant.

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• What should we prepare for our visit to Mt.Huashan?

  Famed as the most precipitous of the five moutains in China, Mt.Huashan is a hardship jouney for xi'an tour. You might prepare a long gown and a pair of jogging shoes in case of raining and dropping of.

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• Where can I meet muslim friends in Xi'an?

  Muslim quarter is a shopping center where many muslime friends gathered there. This area is paved with dark colored stone with green trees providing heavy shade during summer. There are many restaurants and stores on the street. The owners are all Moslems.

  Moslem Street has a long history. It is said that in olden days, foreign diplomatic envoys and merchants lived here then they married and had children, so gradually the population increased.

  Today, most of the inhabitants of Moslem Street are the descendants of those immigrants.

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• What about the toilet facilities in Xi'an?

  Most toilet facilities in emporiums, shopping centers, supermarkets, stations and scenic spots are free. The other will charge no more than 0.5 Yuan.

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• Where can I see Shadow Puppets in Xi'an?

  Shadow Puppets was shaped in an art form of famouse traditional folk custome.The Chinese shadow puppets have existed in China for over a thousand years.

  The Shadow Play is hold in an old house of the Qing Dynasty. The show is about 15 minutes long and performed in a very small room. you can go Gao'a family where near to Drum Tower to see the show, the performance costs about 40 yuan for each one.

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• Why does the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show become so popular here?

  The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show, a wonderful performance of the ancient music and dance, is a must when you visit Xian.

  The city, which was formerly known as Chang'an has a very long history, and was the imperial capital during 13 dynastic periods. Of these, the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) was the most prosperous and glorious of all.

  The Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show is an outstanding exponent of this ancient stable and prosperous society, keeping alive its splendid culture and providing an insight into the peaceful life style of the period.

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• How about the dress for Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show?

  There is no special dress requirement for this show, but some travelers like to dress up.

  If you have time to change your clothes after the day's tour, we suggest that you dress as you would for any formal occasion, like the Opera in Beijing, and the welcome and farewell dinners during the Yangtze Cruise.

  Jackets and ties for gentlemen and a formal dress or gown for ladies are recommended.

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• What is Xi'an time?

  Equal to Beijing, Xi'an is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (London) and 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (New York), is the standard time used in China.

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• What to pack for Xi'an tours?

  Besides the medicines you usually take at home, you need to bring pain killers, anti-inflammatory prescriptions and medicines for colds, fever and diarrhea. These medicines are especially helpful if you are going to visit Xi'an.

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• Where is the post office in Xi'an?

  1. City Center: Bell Tower Post Office, Northeast corner of Bell Tower Square
  2. South Suburb: Xiao Zhai Branch, No.3 Xiao Zhai Xi Lu
  3. North Suburb: Bei Guan Branch, No.18 Bei Guan Zheng Jie
     

  Opening Hours 8:30-18:00

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• Is the internet bar available in Xi'an?

  Yes, it is. tourists can easily find internet bars near colleges or universities, usually it costs you 1 - 2 Yuan per hour, but those with better facilities and faster connection speeds may cost more.

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• What about other useful numbers in Xi'an?

  Zip code Inquiry: 184
  Taxi Complain: 88624509
  Consumption Complain: 12315
  Telephone Number Inquiry: 114
  Public Buses Complain: 16801315
  China Mobile Customer Hotline: 10086
  China Unicom Customer Hotline: 10010
  China Telecom Customer Hotline: 10000
  

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• What is emergency number in Xi'an?

  Fire: 119
  Traffic: 122
  Ambulance: 120
  Police: 110

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