I was on a business trip to Xian in July 2016 and we had half a day of free time, so our business associates suggested a visit to the Terracotta museum, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Terracotta Museum, the largest on-site museum in China, is located on the east side of the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin (Qinshihuang 秦始皇, the first Emperor of China). The museum spans over an area of about 20 hectares, 3 main buildings had been erected on the original sites of Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3. I learned from our tour guide that the terracotta warriors were originally coloured, a lot of the terracotta warriors have not been excavated yet as once they get exposed to air, the colours come off, it seems like current archaeological restoration technology are still not good enough to restore the colours.
This great archaeological treasure was discovered in 1974 by local farmers who were drilling wells in search of water. They discovered some pottery fragments and ancient bronze weapons and alerted the local government. Official excavations started in July 1974.
Among the highlights of the museum are 2 sets of restored bronze chariots. These chariot were discovered by archaeologists in 1980. They were originally placed in a big wooden coffin. These chariots were modeled after the deluxe sedans to be used by the emperor on inspection tours in his afterlife, but half-size. Each chariot had a single shaft, two wheels and drawn by 4 horses. These are the biggest and most realistic bronze chariots and horses to be unearthed so far.
Back at Xian city, the night scene is wonderful with several old historical buildings/structure in the city centre. One of them is the Xian Bell Tower (钟楼), spectacularly lit up at night. There is a night market near the tower, with lots of local delicacies and restaurants. However, many of them are too oily and rich for my liking, hence didn’t try any of the local food at the night market.
She who travels 