One of the most sensational archeological discoveries in history, the Terracotta Warriors just outside of Xian are one of the most famous places to visit on a trip to China and certainly worth the trip to the west.
There are so many fascinating pieces of information about these warriors:
- Their age – 210 BC – before Rome was an imperial power.
- Their mystery – their existence was just a legend until they were only discovered in 1974 by peasants drilling a well.
- Their unique nature – each of the 8,000 warriors has his own distinct expression.
But it is their sheer scale that impresses more than anything as you look across line after line of the warriors from the viewpoint.
Tip – Xian is often just passed through on a tour of China as a transit to get to the warriors. This is an error – Xian is an origin point of Chinese civilisation and the start of the Silk Road ,so is arguably the essential destination if interested in Chinese history. Even if not, the Big Goose Pagoda, cycling along the 14km City Walls and eating in the Muslim Quarter are definitely worth the time.