10/19/25 – Terra Cotta Soldiers and Horses, here we come!
The city of Xi’an has the second highlight of our tour of China – the Terra Cotta Soldiers and Horses Museum! Discovered in 1974 by some farmers digging a well, this collection of over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 620 horses pulling them, and 150 cavalry horses – all life-sized clay sculptures – were built to protect China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang, in his afterlife. Each of the soldiers is unique in its face, meant to resemble every soldier in his army. There are 8 types of bodies, representing everything from foot soldiers to archers to generals. Made around 2100 years ago, these are the ones discovered so far. Who knows how many are still buried and undiscovered? The ones unearthed now are 1.6 kilometers from the burial place of the Emperor and it is thought that there are clay soldiers encircling his mausoleum. Imagine the size of the area needed to be covered! It is believed that the artisans who made these figures were killed afterwards to protect their secret. Seeing these warriors in person was truly a spectacle. It is often referred to as the 8th Wonder of the World. While some of us opted for the evening tour to watch a show, Kathy and Dave opted for dinner locally with dessert at Dairy Queen and an early night.