Terracotta Army

The main drawcard for Xi'an is the famous Terracotta Army.

My camera decided to not turn on on my second day in Xi'an. This was the second time this had happened; the first time was on my Tasmania trip and I, sadly, had to use my Nexus S for photos. The incident was actually the catalyst for my desire to upgrade my 5-year-old phone last year as I didn't want to get caught out again. Fortunately / unfortunately, the situation happened again. (And just like before it magically resolved itself a week later).

How to get there by public transport - Oct '19

• Catch the Tourist Bus 5 (306) bus from Xi'an Railway Station. The railway station at the north gate and not Xi'an North Railway Station (high speed trains).
• There is a blue sign near the bus and the bus itself is grey. Apart from the number in the window, there isn't any verbiage on the side indicating it is going to the Terracotta Army. Ticket cost = 7 RMB
• The bus journey is approximately 70 mins and, as expected, once outside the city limits the traffic thins and the ride is fairly fast.
  
• Note: The bus will drop you off at a secondary car park and naturally, there are people there who can take you to the attraction for a fee. It isn't necessary as it is a simple 5 min walk to ticket office. Just look for the main carpark full of coaches. 

On the way to the attraction, we passed numerous pomegranate orchards and roadside stalls. Despite the crowds at the entrance, there was no one lining up for tickets at the ticket office (presumably because they were part of a tour with pre-organised tickets). Ticket cost = 120 RMB.




The site houses a collection of terracotta sculptures - warriors and non-military figures - that were created to join Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China (210-209 BCE), in the afterlife. The sculptures were discovered in 1974 by farmers who were digging a well. The sculptures were originally painted however the paint flaked off over time / during excavation.

The sheer age and number (8000+!?) of sculptures is mind-boggling. There are 3 pits so far, however with more areas that have not been excavated yet.








It was an incredible place and glad I ticked this off my bucket list.

For an overview of my China trip refer to this post.