10 Interesting Facts about the Terracotta Army in China
Xian is the ancient capital for 13 Chinese dynasties, among which Qin, Han and Tang dynasties have the most interesting history, leaving profound cultural deposits. For an in-depth understanding of the Qin history, it is inevitable to start with the Terracotta Warriors (Terracotta Army), which is the most famous scenic spot in Xian.
In September 1987, Jacques Chirac, the former President of France, rated the Terracotta Warriors as “the eighth wonder of the world”. What is so fascinating and so great about the Terracotta Warriors? Let’s learn some fun facts about the Terracotta Army in China.
1. Why did Qin Shi Huang use the Terracotta Warriors as his burial objects?
“Terracotta figures” refer to burial dolls. During the Xia, Shang, Zhou, and pre-Qin periods, nobles often used real people to be buried with the dead. In the Qin Dynasty, the system of human sacrifice was abolished and replaced with terracotta figures. The Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor of Qin were planned and designed under the leadership of the Prime Minister Li Si. After 39 years, the Terracotta Army was finally completed together with the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang (one of the cool facts about the Terracotta Army in China).
Therefore, we can see the terracotta figures unearthed in the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang today. The Terracotta Warriors are not made by real people, but are actually the terracotta products. They represent the underground army of Qin Shi Huang.
2. How was the Terracotta Warriors occasionally discovered?
An interesting fact about the Terracotta Army is its discovery. In 1974, when several farmers were digging a well 1.5 kilometers east of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang in Lintong, Shaanxi Province, they accidentally unearthed fragments of the terracotta figures. The Qin Terracotta Army, dormant for more than 2,200 years, has finally come to light. This discovery shocked the world and unveiled the mystery of China’s largest archaeological site.
However, Terracotta Army is just a tip of the iceberg versus the whole mausoleum of First Qin Emperor, and it has showed no signs of being stolen ever. The Terracotta Army people see now is just one of more than 400 burial pits. The whole mausoleum measures 56.25 square kilometers, about the size of 2.5 Macao. It may take hundreds of years to entirely excavate the mausoleum, which will surely rewrite the history books by then.
3. The Terracotta Warriors Museum is mainly composed of three pits.
After 50 years of archaeological excavation, the total area of Terracotta Warriors pits 1, 2 and 3 exceeds 20,000 square meters, which is a cool fact about the Terracotta Army in China.
The first pit is the largest, while the second is actually also a big one, which has not been fully excavated yet. Besides, the figures buried in the second pit are valiant and heroic combat troop, so it was with more appreciation value. Xian local people said that when the Terracotta Warriors was first found, they were all lying down without being repaired. By current technology, only about 14 figures can be restored each year, which means there’s still a long way to go but more and more terracotta figures can be seen later.
The pit No. 3 is the smallest, and there are only about 60 terracotta figures in it, which is equivalent to a battle headquarter. However, no commander has been found in it. According to experts, this commander is likely to be the Emperor Qin himself. After all, the ancient emperors, especially the first emperor who unified the whole China, had to keep the military power in their own hands.
4. Why are there mounds in the middle of the Terracotta Warriors?
During the Terracotta Warriors tour, many tourists find that every few rows of Terracotta Warriors are separated by mounds. Why is it?
In fact, this is mainly related to the building of the Terracotta Warriors. The middle mound is the rammed earth wall when the burial pit was built, which is equivalent to the load-bearing wall of the house now, and is harder than bricks.
These mounds can well prevent the collapse of the burial pit. At that time, when building the mausoleum, mounds were built every few meters, and then the Terracotta Warriors were successively displayed in the burial pit, covered with wood and mats, and finally filled with rammed earth.
5. What are different types of the Terracotta Warriors?
There are not only soldiers in the Terracotta Warriors. Since the discovery of the Terracotta Army, more than 8,000 lifelike terracotta figures have been unearthed, including warriors such as military officers, standing archers, kneeling archers, cavalrymen, infantry and charioteers, 130 chariots and 670 horses. According to excavated records, the number of infantry warriors is the highest, accounting for over 80% of the total. And the arrangement of the Terracotta Warriors is not random, but in strict military array layout.
An interesting fact about the Terracotta Army: In the newly excavated pit, in addition to the terracotta warriors, there are also acrobatic performers, singers, dancers and attendants, as well as a large number of birds such as waterfowl, cranes and ducks that have never appeared before. It seems that even after his death, Emperor Qin Shi Huang would enjoy exactly the same services and treatment in his afterlife.
6. Each of the Terracotta Warriors is unique.
The large number of Terracotta Warriors is not surprising, but if you look carefully, you will be be amazed to find that Terracotta Warriors all look not exactly the same from each other.
A fun fact about the Terracotta Warriors is that each figure has unique facial features. Their expressions, demeanor, clothing, and hairstyles are all different. After analysis, experts concluded that the facial features of the existing Terracotta Warriors can be divided into at least eight different facial types. Hairstyles and head-wear can reflect their identity level, for example, ordinary soldiers do not wear crowns and have slanted hair buns; the crowns worn by military officers of different ranks are also different.
One of the notable actors in China, named Ge You, said that a figure with 97% similarity to his appearance was once found here. What do you think of the level of how Terracotta Warriors look in your eyes?
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The Production of the Terracotta Warriors:
Terracotta Warriors were made by excellent craftsmen, who gave life to them with their wisdom and talents! The production process of Terracotta Warriors is very complex, and each figure is made in sections. First, the head, torso, and limbs are formed separately, and then combined for carving and coloring.
The hand shape of each soldier, the chariot wheels, the mane of horses, etc. are all finely designed and clearly depicted. The Terracotta Army not only shows the grand scale and super-high craftsmanship of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, but also reveals many details of the military, cultural and social life of the Qin Dynasty.
7. The Terracotta Warriors were in color when unearthed.
The Terracotta Warriors we see today are all earthly yellow. However, when the Terracotta Warriors were unearthed, they were colored, some with black eyes, and some with taupe eyes. The clothes of various Terracotta Warriors are also have different colors. Archaeologists have discovered over 10 types of colors, among which vermilion, blue, and green are the most common.
One fact about the Terracotta Army in China: During excavation, the colored paint layer on the surface of terracotta figures curled up after being exposed to the air for only 15 seconds, and peeled off within 4 minutes, eventually becoming the appearance we see during Xian travel today.
8. Where are the weapons of the Terracotta Warriors?
A fun fact about the Terracotta Army is that the weapons in the Terracotta Warriors were real bronzes rather than models. However, most of the Terracotta Warriors seen today have a holding gesture but they do not have weapons in their hands.
The weapons in the hands of the Terracotta Warriors may disappear due to corrosion or looting. One speculated reason is that the handle of the weapon is made of wood, and the iron head buried underground for too long causes corrosion. Another reason is that the weapons were looted or destroyed by Xiang Yu.
9. Are the Terracotta Warriors all with single eyelids?
One fact about the Terracotta Army is that the Terracotta Warriors are all with single eyelids, which may be related to the ethnic and national characteristics at that time. The Terracotta Warriors are all imitation of real people, which proves that the pure Han people in the Qin Dynasty are all single eyelids. It was not until the Han Dynasty intermarried with the Hu people that double eyelids gradually appeared.
In the Qin Dynasty, single eyelid was the standard for handsome men, which was also the earmark of pure Han people’s appearance. And people with single eyelids have a cold and serious expression, which may more meet the needs of military roles.
10. How many tourists visit the Terracotta Warriors every year?
Some people may consider it hard to be obsessed with those gray figures, however, what’s is incredible is that the tourist amount of Terracotta Warriors had ever reached 160 thousand a day during the holiday of Spring Festival in 2019. To put it this way, there are about 6,000 terracotta figures in the No. 1 pit, the largest one in the scenic area, and there are about 1,000 pieces of the figures that have been restored and exhibited. So basically, 160 thousand tourists means that per terracotta figure is supposed to welcome a dozen of people on average. How busy they are!
As of 2023, the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang Museum has received over 160 million visitors in total, with a record breaking 11 million visitors in 2023. This is really a cool fact about the Terracotta Army in China.
Founded in 246 BC, discovered in 1974, and included in the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987, the Terracotta Army attracts a large number of tourists to start Xian tours for its unique artistic value and historical significance.
Apart from the above 10 facts about the Terracotta Warriors, there are more mysteries waiting to discover!
