Everything to know about China’s Terracotta Army in Xi’an

Many great cities have risen over the centuries. Some are felled by conquest or natural disaster; a few re-emerge mightier than ever. One such is the metropolis now known as Xi’an. Today a hectic hub of some 13 million people, it’s been inhabited for many millennia, soaring to prominence as capital of the newly unified China in the third century BC, then again as the world’s largest city nine centuries later.

Indeed, it’s celebrated as one of the country’s ‘Four Great Ancient Capitals’, along with Luoyang, Nanjing and Beijing. From 130BC, when it was called Chang’an, it was the starting point of the Silk Road trade routes along which tea, dyes, porcelain and, of course, silk were carried through Central Asia to Europe.

That long, rich history is evident in its six UNESCO World Heritage sites – more than any other city, topping Córdoba, Rome or Paris. Five of these are grouped within a larger Silk Road designation. But the sixth – the one for which Xi’an is famous around the globe – is virtually a city in itself: the mausoleum of the first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, with its legions of terracotta guards.

Today, entering one of the vast hangars to meet the emotionless stares of thousands of life-sized clay figures, it is difficult to believe that just half a century ago, no one had an inkling that this army even existed.

That changed in March 1974, when a group of farmers unearthed fragments of terracotta while digging a well near the funerary mound of the Qin Emperor. After they reported their finds, experts recognised the importance of the discovery. (Some of these farmers later came to work at the museum established on the site, but all complained that their land was confiscated for the excavation, and that they received scant compensation for their trouble.

The figure behind – and within – the mausoleum, and the warriors that guard it, was Qin Shi Huang. The son of Zhuangxiang, king of Qin, he succeed to his father’s throne in 247BC, aged just 12. The following year, he ordered the construction of his mausoleum and its phalanxes of soldiers, to intimidate his opponents and ensure his lasting legacy. And it’s quite a legacy: by 221BC, he had conquered rival states to create a unified China, naming himself its first emperor. Before his death in 210BC, he also joined up disparate barriers to create one Great Wall.

His mausoleum and army are part of a sprawling complex spanning 56 square kilometres. Visitors can see three excavated pits that have so far yielded more than 2,000 statues.

Moulds were used to produce the various parts of the warriors, which were then assembled into whole bodies. Before firing, artisans sculpted hair and other facial features, modelled on real members of Qin’s army and entourage. The completed figures were then painted and stood in formation facing east, away from his tomb and towards the states he conquered – a final and enduring gesture of triumph.

What you see today, though, is only a fraction of what remains buried. Archaeologists estimate that the army may comprise as many as 8,000 statues. Most uncovered so far required painstaking reconstruction, and some are being left buried until archaeological preservation techniques improve. After more than 2,000 years of interment, just a few minutes of exposure to air can cause the lacquer and paint applied to the figures to curl and flake off.

The earthenware multitude doesn’t include only soldiers. There are also statues of acrobats, musicians and Qin’s favoured concubines. The dig has also uncovered bronze chariots, thousands of weapons, stone armour and delicate bird sculptures, all of which are on display.

The tomb itself is yet to be excavated – perhaps wisely. The ancient historian Sima Qian (c145–c87BC) wrote that the mausoleum contained ‘palaces and scenic towers… filled with rare artefacts and wonderful treasure’, but also traps installed to deter would-be grave robbers – ‘crossbows and arrows primed to shoot at anyone who enters the tomb. Mercury was used to simulate one hundred rivers… and set to flow mechanically.’ Any budding Indiana Joneses out there, be warned.

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