Tuesday 1 May - Today is May Day and a holiday in China although instead of the week people used to get in former times in the "new" China its 3 days. So joining the crowds we headed the hour out of town to the site of the Terra-cotta Warriors. Discovered in 1974 by some local farmers who were digging a well the site is now a major archaeological site and the "eighth wonder of the world".
The museum is spread over three excavation pits but the whole site its elf covers many unexplored acres most importantly the Emperor's burial mound. The first pit contains the upright warriors which have partly been re-paired as they were originally in pits with a wooden roof covered with 5 metros of soil. Over time the wood rotted and the soil collapsed on to the figures breaking them although of course all the pieces remain in situ. Amazingly each of the figures is different seemingly representing "real" people.
Pit 2 is less well excavated and the the figures are mould made and laid out in the form of a formation. Pit 3 contains the archers both kneeling and standing and it was here that half sized bronze horse and carts were also found. These are displayed in a separate building.
Having spent the morning on our feet we deserved a nice lunch at a Tea Shop and having headed back to town a foot massage. Now we know in China 'massage' has some rather dodgy connotations but Linda Guo our guide took us to a large emporium which for some reason was decorated in Tibetan style. And other than the fact that the girls black skirts possibly revealed a little too much thigh the massage itself was good and uneventful !
The museum is spread over three excavation pits but the whole site its elf covers many unexplored acres most importantly the Emperor's burial mound. The first pit contains the upright warriors which have partly been re-paired as they were originally in pits with a wooden roof covered with 5 metros of soil. Over time the wood rotted and the soil collapsed on to the figures breaking them although of course all the pieces remain in situ. Amazingly each of the figures is different seemingly representing "real" people.
Pit 2 is less well excavated and the the figures are mould made and laid out in the form of a formation. Pit 3 contains the archers both kneeling and standing and it was here that half sized bronze horse and carts were also found. These are displayed in a separate building.
Having spent the morning on our feet we deserved a nice lunch at a Tea Shop and having headed back to town a foot massage. Now we know in China 'massage' has some rather dodgy connotations but Linda Guo our guide took us to a large emporium which for some reason was decorated in Tibetan style. And other than the fact that the girls black skirts possibly revealed a little too much thigh the massage itself was good and uneventful !