Like India, there’s no such thing as waiting in line – you
either push your way in to get what you want, or you get pushed out of the way
by those who do. I think this must be a result of having such a high billion+
population. [NN: Before the Beijing Olympics the government put out a campaign
to try and get Chinese to form lines, the other habit they have been trying to
eradicate… spitting in public. Which is visible not just from young men but men
and women of all ages.] With so many
people vying for resources and space, it’s kind of an every man for himself
mentality. Or, according to our guide, it’s just the result of growing up in
the One Child Policy generation – everyone is in competition with each other
and vying to be the best or get ahead or get more than the person next to you.
I can’t count the number of small children and old ladies that have nearly
knocked me over because I leave breathing space between me and the person in
front of me, which they very quickly seize upon and fill. (No wonder I got so sick! With all the coughing, sneezing & spitting and over crowdedness, I didn't stand a chance against these free floating germs!) Add
to that the sweat and stench of thousands of bodies crammed together in an
unair-conditioned building in 90+ degree heat and you can start to imagine what
it was like seeing the Terracotta Warriors. ;)
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| Museum Crowds |
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| Nick finds Cat in the crowd |
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| Emperor's Tomb Mound |
Let me take you back: The first emperor of united China, Qin
Shi Huang, ordered the construction of his own mausoleum at age 13 (in 246 BCE)
immediately after his ascension to the throne. (He would later unite all
warring states in 221 BCE.) In addition to the mausoleum, his necropolis
included at least 4 pits (that’s how many have been discovered so far) filled
with a life-sized, armed terracotta army and cavalry, as well as rooms of officials,
artists and valuable artifacts to aid him in the afterlife. One mile from the
pits lies the emperor’s tomb at the base of Mt. Li. The tomb mound has not been
excavated, as the Chinese government refuses to disturb the sight until they
have the technology to fully preserve it. (From the excavated pits,
archaeologists can tell that the tombs were somehow hermetically sealed because,
once exposed to air, the paint used and the silks wrapped around the figures
faded and flaked off within seconds. Sadly.) This restraint seems unprecedented
to me, given the archaeological and historical value of what must lie
underneath! And what an amazing excavation it will be! Through historical
records and whatever underground x-ray analysis they can do, archaeologists have
determined that in addition to ceremonial terracotta figures buried with the
emperor, there are also numerous valuables, food offerings, concubines (buried
alive with him!), and (crazy of all crazy!) multiple rivers of liquid mercury:
all to help guide/protect/provide for him in the afterlife. I told Nick we need
to come back in 20 years & see what new treasures have been uncovered by
then!
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| Pit 1 |
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| Pit 1 |
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| Pit 1 |
The Terracotta Army pits were discovered by a farmer who
accidentally dug up some pottery shards in 1974. (We’re told that the farmer,
now in his 80s, still sits outside the museum most days signing autographs.
LOL. He wasn’t there this Saturday, though.) Since then, an estimated 8,000
warriors of various ranks, 130 chariots, 670 horses, numerous acrobats,
strongmen, officials, and musicians have been uncovered under more than 2
millennia and 5m of time and sediment. It’s estimated that it took 700,000
artisans & laborers to design, carve, dig, and construct this giant
necropolis. The warriors are life-size and distinctly detailed to portray the
hairstyles and uniforms of each individual military rank. Each one was
originally painted and lacquered, outfitted with metal weapons (swords, spears,
arrows, etc.) – even the horses had brass bridals – and most amazingly, no two
faces are the same! Each one of the 8,000 figures was hand-carved with a
distinctly different face! AMAZING. Unfortunately, Pit 1 was significantly
damaged millennia before it was excavated. It was destroyed (figures smashed
and set on fire) and all valuables looted (metal weapons, brass fittings, etc.)
by Xiang Yu, contender to throne after Qin Shi Huang’s death in 210 BCE. [NN:
So really it was built over 30 years and destroyed only a few years after
completion.]
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| Pit 1 Warriors |
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| Pit 1 Warriors |
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| Pit 1 Warriors |
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| Pit 1 Warriors |
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| Pit 1 Warrior Close up |
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| Pit 1 Warrior Restoration |
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| Pit 1 Warrior Restoration |
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| Pit 1 horses still under excavation |
But nevertheless, while the excavators and scientists have
their work cut out for them, it was a spectacular sight to see. (My dad, the
history buff, would have loved it.) Even with broken figures and partially
excavated sections, just to picture the massive undertaking this once was and
the skill represented in each of the figures is phenomenal. I could have spent
hours there! Sadly, the group tour only gave us about 3 hours to view all 3
pits, a very 1980’s Monty Python-esque produced video on the history of the
site, and a museum with the finer, highly restored pieces on display. The
latter of which included one of each rank of warriors (some with spots of paint
still visible!), salvaged weapons, and a fully restored brass miniature of the
emperor’s carriage, complete with footman and 4 horses! It was worth this trip
just to visit the site (if only we had more time!! Ah well). When you travel to
historical places, people always claim they have the 8
th wonder of
the world but the Terracotta Army is by far one of the most outstanding and remarkable sites to fit that bill that I have seen. [NN: Don’t forget Angkor Wat and Machu Picchu!] It is without a doubt one of the most impressive and significant
historical feats I have ever had the privilege to witness (If you are ever
anywhere near China, I highly recommend making a point to go see this). And I
still can’t get over just how OLD it is! I seriously don’t think I have ever
experienced anything that comes close to being 2,200 years old!!
Mind. Blown.
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| Crowd in front of Kneeling Archer |
And if that wasn’t enough to pack into a single day, we
headed back to Xi’an after the warriors to indulge in a traditional dumpling
dinner (Yes, bring it!). Mmm, dumpling after tasty steamed, fried, and sweet
dumpling! So. Good. (Yammy, Staci & Michelle: I would have made you proud
;) They even gave Nick his own vegetarian selection of dumplings (this would be
the first meal that there wasn’t a beef option). After dinner we walked around the
main square at night; even in the dark, Xi’an is a GORGEOUS city! I SO want to
come back here and spend more time! There were tons of crowds playing and
hanging out, which was really nice to see and experience in contrast to our
normal suburban life. The highlight, however, may have been the discovery that
most new parents in China don’t use diapers; instead, baby/infant clothes are
built crotch & butt-less to allow for easy discharge and cleanup. This is
now my new hobby: searching the crowd for evidence of buttless baby chaps to
share with you as proof! [NN: The first one of these buttless onesies I saw, I
thought how funny this kids ripped his pants. But then we saw more and realized
it was no mistake.]
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| Dumpling Dinner |
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| Nick enjoying dumplings |
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| Mmmm, dumpling |
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| Central Square |
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| Such a pretty town!! |
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| Xi'an Bell Tower |
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