Breakfast was included with our stay at the Fly With Pleasure Hotel in Ningbo. It was probably the most authentic (and least tasty) of the meals we ate on our trip:
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| Breakfast buffet at the Fly With Pleasure Hotel |
Lunch or dinner might have been even better, considering the plastic models of meal options. At first I thought they were real and I was very impressed, thinking they must be expecting a huge crowd later in the day. Craig said similar displays were common in restaurants in Taiwan as well.
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There were several helpful signs displayed at the airport. You certainly don't want to be late for a flight!
We arrived in Xi'An in the early afternoon and discovered that the terra cotta warrior museum was located about an hour from the airport in a different direction from our hotel. Fortunately, we were able to book a van and driver to take us to the warriors and later to our hotel. Once we arrived at the site, the driver arranged for an English-speaking guide to take us around.
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| One of the buildings housing terra cotta warriors at Xi'An |
The warriors were impressive! The area housing the pits where the warriors are located is enormous--the pits themselves are huge. And according to our guide, they estimate they have uncovered only a fraction of them. The warriors and mausoleum, created by Emperor Qin, took 38 years to construct, from 247 to 208 B.C.
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| The warriors in front have been restored, while those towards the back are as they were found. |
Archeologists believe Emperor Qin had the warriors created not only to protect and fight for him in the afterlife but to attack his enemies spiritually in mortality.
He hired skilled craftsmen to create a warriors in the image of real soldiers and If the likeness wasn't good enough the artist would be killed.
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| Notice how the face of each warrior is different. |
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| Teams continue the painstaking work of restoration. |
The warriors were originally painted with vivid colors, but the colors that remained faded within a day after being unearthed, which is one reason they haven't excavated more areas. They are working with the Germans to perfect fixatives that will preserve the beautiful original colors.
When the project was finally finished the Emperor Qin had thousands of officials and craftsmen killed so that no on would ever know about it. Indeed, it remained a secret until about 1974, when farmers discovered fragments of the warriors while they were digging a well.
It is sobering to consider the cruelty and selfishness involved in building the Emperor's tomb and accompanying terra cotta warriors, yet the museum and excavation efforts also represent a tribute to the great skill of the artisans. According to the book we bought, the terra cotta warriors represent a huge leap forward in pottery technology.
Amazingly, the leader of the farmers who discovered the warriors was actually at the gift store we visited as we were departing, signing books under a larger photograph of a younger version of himself! For a few dollars he signed our book and for a few more, he posed for a photo with Craig.
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| Craig with the farmer who discovered the terra cotta warriors |
Craig bought a terra cotta archer made from the same clay as the originals, while we bought a set of smaller warriors made from lower quality local clay. Jade is also mined in the nearby mountains.
In the evening, we enjoyed a beautiful show of traditional dance and music.
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| The Tang Dynasty show |
2 comments:
That's amazing that there are so many of the terra-cotta warriors! I would not have expected there to be so many. That sure seems like a eat place to visit!
*neat
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