China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors

You may have seen them on TV, but nothing can quite give you the frisson that accompanies your first sight of the Terracotta Warriors.  Standing in the never ending queue, you wonder what can have brought so many people, over weeks and weeks, to this exhibition.  Fully booked all summer until 28th October, the World Museum in Liverpool has tried to accommodate still more people by booking into the early evening.  The atmosphere is charged with anticipation as you are beckoned into the cinema for a brief introduction.  And then, you meet a Horseman, and enter the darkened arena where the story is told.

China’s First Emperor, Qin Shi Huang, was responsible for the most extraordinary feat.  In 246BC, aged just 13, he ascended to the throne, in a period of tumultuous conflict between warring tribes.  As he grew in power and stature he managed to unify the tribes, but along the way he became obsessed with the idea of immortality.  In 1974 a chance discovery by farmers digging a well in the Shaanxi province of China was to reveal an incredible underground army of life-sized Terracotta Warriors, 2000 years after his death.

The belief system of the time included an after life, provision for which the Emperor made in the most excessive indulgence.  A mausoleum was constructed, modelled on the Qin capital Xianyang, with inner and outer cities, beneath an enormous burial mound.  Buried in pits east of this, more than 8000 warriors for the Emperor’s protection.  130 chariots were found with 520 horses.  I was totally mesmerised by the replica bronze chariots with their teams of horses, thought to represent the chariots in which the Emperor travelled across his newly unified lands.  They were buried so that he could carry on touring his Empire in the afterlife.

No luxury was spared, and there were musicians, strongmen and acrobats for entertainment.  The gigantic bronze cauldron above is thought to have been used in acrobatic performances.  The kneeling stable boy below would have cared for the horses in the after life.

Sadly the Emperor may have brought about his own premature death.  He ordered his alchemist to make potions to extend his life, some of which contained mercury.  His unexpected death was most probably from mercury poisoning.

The exhibition defies description and it is amazing to think that these are but a fraction of the total necropolis.  The Terracotta Army have traveled the world, inspiring awe and disbelief.  The enclosed links will help you to understand much better than I can.

106 comments

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  5. Wonderful, Jo! What an incredible exhibit and the history! Oh the history! I am so glad you took advantage of the opportunity. If “they” visit me again, I won’t neglect the invitation!

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  6. What an amazing feat to take these monumental life size statues around the world and you have captured them so well in your photos. I saw them in the pits in China only a few years after they were found and I can still remember the overwhelming feeling of awe as I looked down on them. I see you leave tomorrow. All the very best in your new country. Safe travels and enjoy the adventure.

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    1. The Wikipedia Terracotta Army link gives all the places they’ve been to, Sue. They’ve been touring for a number of years so it’s worth Googling to see if you can find somewhere accessible. 🙂 🙂

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  8. Now that’s an exhibition I would stand in line for as well. As many people, I have been fascinated by photos seen of the terra-cotta army in China and it is on my wishlist to observe them there one day. I’m actually surprised that some of these aged and fragile pieces are on a world tour. And, I actually never realized there were so many and that they are life-size. Impressive, Jo!

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    1. There are thousands of them, Liesbet, so they can spare a few to tour. I understand that there are several of these exhibitions. The Wikipedia link detailed some and it must be possible to establish where they’ll be next. Difficult to imagine the scale of the necropolis! They were very impressive, indeed. I especially loved the horses. 🙂 🙂

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  9. Such a grand exhibit. Glad to hear that The terracotta Army have traveled the world, a way to exchange culture and better understanding of the history. Photos are beautifully captured. Thank you, Jo!

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  13. Extraordinary life-size figures. It must have giving you a real thrill to be so close to them. I cannot imagine what a mammoth effort it must be to move these things around the world and set up exhibitions. The costs must be exorbitant. To discover this entire underground city would have been unbelievable.

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  18. What a thrilling visit. It doesn’t matter how many times one sees images of these warriors, and the horses – they are still absolutely unbelievable. To see them in ‘the pot’ as it were, must have been wonderful.

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