Qin Shi Huang (259BC-210BC), unifier and first Emperor of China had certain ideas about holding on to power in the afterlife. Thusly, we have the terracotta army - an estimated seven thousand life-size statues, comprising archers, cavalry, foot-soldiers and generals, standing guard over his nearby tomb.
Emperor Qin was unfortunately a tyrant, and many of the statues were destroyed in a peasant revolt shortly after his death. Those that remained were forgotten about until 1974, when a group of peasants digging a well inadvertantly discovered what is dubbed the eigth wonder of the world. Now, the site has become a colossal museum, packed to the rafters with tourists. I wonder what happened to the peasants...
1 comment:
Looks an amazing place. Brilliant photos Hayley.
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