Terracotta Army Xian China

The Terracotta Army in Xi’an, China, is one of the most well-known cultural heritage sites in China. There are so many movies and legends based on the Terracotta Army, and it is on most people’s must-visit or must-see lists when they come to China. The only reason I came to Xi’an was to visit the Terracotta Army, and in many ways, I left extremely disappointed.

 

 

The Terracotta Army is really far away from Xi’an city, and taking a taxi is a bit expensive, so it made the visit bittersweet for me. I had always thought that the Terracotta Army would be massive, with thousands of statues, but reality was so different from what I thought it would be like. Walking into the first pit is really impressive; as you look down at all the statues, you are left awestruck, but that is about the best part of the trip.

 

 

The first pit is huge and takes about 10 minutes to walk around, and there is a lot to see, so take your time here. Don’t rush, as this is about all there is to see. The main pit is the big attraction, with only two smaller pits left. I walked around the main pit three times, just enjoying the sight, as I knew I would never come back to see the Terracotta Army again.

 

 

The Terracotta Warriors themselves are extremely impressive, and many of them are in excellent condition. Seeing them in the first pit, row after row of warriors, really sparks the imagination with wild fantasies of the past.

 

 

 

Shooting from the back and sides of the pit was no problem, but trying to shoot from the front of the pit was a huge pain. All the tourists flock around the entrance, trying to take selfies, and the tour guides are either touting or busy arguing among themselves. My advice is to avoid the front of the pit or wait until lunchtime to take photos from the front. Just avoid all the crazy tour guides, and you’ll be fine.

 

 

 

 

The details in each statue are remarkable. Each statue has a different face, body type, and appearance. The effort that went into making each soldier unique is incredible. Each face would be difficult to create, but making each body unique means that each piece had to be made individually, so they could not mass-produce any parts of the soldiers.

 

 

Unfortunately, the Terracotta Army has not escaped the ravages of time, and some parts of individual soldiers could not be restored. Some soldiers are missing hands or their heads. But for so many of the warriors to have survived in such good condition is simply remarkable.

 

 

These Terracotta Warriors are currently being restored and not currently in the pit. As they are completed, they are moved back into the pit. It is a painfully slow process, as told to us by the tour guides.

 

 

 

These warriors have been undergoing restoration for the last three months.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The first pit was so exciting and had so much to see, that once I had finished it, I headed off to the second pit expecting something equally exciting.

 

 

The second and third pits are tiny, and many of the warriors are still uncovered. The biggest problem facing the Chinese archaeologists is that the warriors are actually painted with many colors, but the pigment in the paint is so old that as soon as it is exposed to sunlight, the pigment just fades away, leaving the brown statues in the first pit. So, none of the warriors in the second and third pits will be dug out until they have solved the problem of the pigmentation. I left the second and third pits feeling very disappointed. I had expected much more than what was on display. If the second and third pits were the same as the first pit, it would have blown me away, but it was not to be.

Next up was the museum, located next to Pit 3.

 

 

The most iconic of the Terracotta Warriors stands proudly in the museum, waiting for everyone with their selfie sticks to snap some shots with him.

 

 

These statues are extremely popular, and getting a clean shot of them is so difficult. These guys have more fans with selfie sticks than Justin Bieber. Patience is the name of the game here, and I waited for nearly an hour to be able to take a quick shot.

 

 

I left the museum feeling completely underwhelmed. I left Pit One feeling so excited, and all that excitement had turned into disappointment by the time I left the museum. If I had come to China specifically to see the Terracotta Warriors, I would have been so let down. I feel that the Terracotta Warriors are overhyped, and there is simply too much negativity around the tourist site. As you leave the tourist site, you are greeted by many touts trying to sell you their fake goods or animal skins.

 

 

The restaurant was the final straw that made me very sorry I came to visit the Terracotta Warriors. The sign basically says “No Japanese People Allowed.” Now, I understand that China and Japan have a very tenuous history with each other, but no matter how you look at this, it is just pure racism. While I really like Xi’an as a city, I left the Terracotta Warriors really disliking them. Getting there is not easy, and I would advise any tourist to think carefully before going there. Pit 1 is great, but the rest of your time there will be a complete waste.

Shaun.