When I visited the city of Xian and the famed Terracotta Warriors, this is as close as I got:
(My Sister and I in front of pit 1.)
Evidently, there are people in this world that think that is not close enough! They really want to be a part of history.
I read in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo recently that a young German student took his visit to the warriors a little too far – right over the side of the pit! The German, Pablo, is obsessed with the warriors and decided to dress up like them, and hide out among them until the police came to take him away. Due to his “passion” for the warriors and the fact that he didn’t actually harm any of them, the police confiscated his costume and gave him a warning.
There is also an article in English at China News.
You have to admit that costume is great! I would have loved to see this myself. Nothing like a little humor and mischief to shake up the PRC!
The Terracotta Warriors were constructed around 200 BC under order of the first Emperor of China – Qin Shi Huang. They are found in Xian, which is an ancient city right about in the middle of China. They are part of Qin’s tomb, which extends for at least 1.5 kilometers. The soldiers were first found by a farmer who was attempting to dig a water well in 1974. Instead of water he found the head of a warrior – which freaked him and his family out. Now the old farmer works at the souvenir shop signing autographs. He didn’t seem too thrilled with his new line of work, although I imagine it must beat working as a farmer. He didn’t seem too thrilled about having his picture taken, either. He thwarted any potential paparazzi with a strategically placed fan.
Here are a few personal photos taken when I visited the TCW in June 2006.
Views into pit 1 – The soldiers were burned and partially destroyed shortly after their completion by angry peasants. Thousands have yet to be uncovered. Of those uncovered, many have been restored.
Above, you can see how the soldiers were set up in rows. A few soldiers were set apart in a different area of the pit, as you see on the right. I love how the lazy soldier gets a nice soft pillow to rest on.
Above is a close up of a soldier that still has a bit of paint on his uniform. Evidently when the tomb was first opened, the paint on the soldiers faded within minutes. Also above you have the ubiquitous Chinese security guard – this one has a fancy red phone. Perhaps he is the one who made the call when Pablo jumped into the pit?
And finally, the only warrior uncovered so far that is totally intact. You can walk all the way around this soldier, one of three different types. He is supposed to be an archer. The details of his uniform are really amazing considering he is over 2000 years old.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
you did not cover the burial site completely.
the stone armor
the fact that the burial site was designed in the shape of china with river and springs of mercury flowing all over it
Well, no, I did not give a complete historical report on the burial site, but that is not really the point of this post. (Although the tomb is fascinating and worth a more detailed study.) I just gave a little bit of background for those who may not be familiar with the tomb. Anyone who is really interested can always search the web for more info. (Can you imagine how long my posts would be if I gave that much info?)
Cheers