A not-so-enchanting look at the Terracotta Army

Introduction: The find that impressed the world

The story is almost like a fairy tale: In March of 1974 some local farmers wanted to dig a new water well. While raising buckets of soil, they suddenly found all kinds of terracotta fragments in the shape of body parts. Soon thereafter archeologists and historians discovered this must be the site of the famous terracotta army of the first Qin dynasty emperor. Although the existence of this army had been described in ancient chronicles, it had up until then been considered nothing but mere legend.

By the late 1970s the excavation site proved to be gigantic. The national government built massive halls over some of the pits; as protection for the frail earthen soldiers and also to facilitate the growing number of visitors. During the 1980s the Terracotta Army's importance and fame spread over the world and more and more international leaders and stars visited the site, all expressing their awe, frequently in very lyrical words. The most oft-quoted one, is that of France's former president Chirac who allegedly called it “the most marvelous thing I have ever seen and definitely the 8th world wonder"

Popular exhibitions in leading museums around the world (like the one currently being held in the British Museum in London) were even more important to make the Terracotta Army known to the world public, and it is currently one of the most popular tourist sights in the whole of Asia.

I have visited the Terracotta Army on three different occasions. And I have to say; my honest opinion about the whole site is a little different then that of president Chirac. However, before I will talk about my personal experiences, first some more details about the history of these unearthed warriors

A little bit of Terracotta history

The soldiers, horses and carriages that you can now see at the Terracotta Army excavation site near Xi'an, are part of an enormous army that was created as a component of a tomb complex for Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi who lived at around 250BC. The soldiers were expected to help this emperor rule another empire in the spirit world. According to information given on the site itself; the construction of the whole mausoleum began in 246BC and it took around 700,000 workers 38 years to complete this incredible task. A morbid side of this story is that a considerable amount of these craftspeople were buried alive with the completion of the crypt, in order to preserve the secrets of the riches of the mausoleum.

Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi died in 210BC and was buried inside an earthen pyramid that rises 76 meters into the sky and is surrounded by fields full of the afterlife army. This tomb pyramid is located near the current Terracotta Army sight and can also be visited.

The terracotta figures itself are all incredibly life-like. Their uniforms, hairstyles and -most notably- their facial features and expressions all are different. It is hard to imagine this was all created over 2200 years ago; and of course it can be seen as one giant testimony of the power of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi and -more generally- as an eternal proof of the level of the Chinese civilization at that time.

However fascinating this history on itself may be; the tourist sight that can be visited today certainly doesn't do anything to let its visitors be enveloped by this kind of enthrallment.

A sight full of 'buts'

Do you know that feeling of slight disappointment, of some kind of disenchantment when you finally visit a world famous sight for real? You have read about it, you have seen countless pictures of it in books and magazines, you watched images of the place on television or even in the movies. And then you are finally there yourself, and.....it is a lot less magical then you had expected it to be.

This feeling came over me very strongly the first time I visited the Terracotta Army. All those magnificent pictures of long lines of earthen soldiers with their delicate features, and all those stories about the vastness of the excavation site and the work in progress that is going on there as more and more treasures are unearthed; they all fail to warn you for the true look and feel of the place; one of pompous early eighties communist architecture combined with recent waves of Starbuckish commercialization.
This may sound negative, but these indeed were my true feelings upon first entering the area. Instead of having the idea of stepping onto grounds of historical significance were you are about the see a grand archeological treasure; it seems you are entering a dated government area full of huge office-like buildings in that robust and official looking communist style or architecture that also can be found in cities such as Berlin and Moscow. The three excavations pits are covered by huge structures that take away all the magic and mystery of the displayed warriors, horses and carriages. Information about everything is given by signs and several exhibition areas that lack any fantasy or creativity. And in between those three excavation pits you can find some other 'treasures' such as a movie theater that shows an incoherent and hopelessly outdated film about the history of the Terracotta Army and a mall with pricy restaurants and coffee shops that particularly flourish (as one of the shop keepers smilingly told me) because of American senior citizen tour groups.

I think it is pretty clear now; I was really disappointed when I visited the Terracotta army. I understand that a famous sight like that can not exist without malls and souvenir shops and I also comprehend that huge numbers of visitors require proper facilities; yet this could have been done a tad more subtle: with more respect for the historical importance of the area, without making it look like a state office district and with less in-your-face commercial exploitation. All of which badly distract from the terracotta statues itself -which are indeed beautiful!-
So when you visit the site, the trick is to lower your expectations (mine were proven too high) and try to focus solely on the unique artifacts that are showcased. Perhaps you'll do a better job then me and will be able to enjoy the place a lot more than I did. And remember that –all the 'buts' taken aside- the Terracotta army absolutely is a must-see when you are visiting this part of China.

Practical stuff

Most tourists visit the Terracotta Army either as part of a package tour arranged by a travel agency, or book a one day tour at one of the many, many, many local travel bureaus that often have desks in bigger hotels as well as in popular backpacker hostels. A tour which includes the entry fee usually costs about 150RMB. But you can save some money by just taking the regional bus yourself. The most convenient one is bus line number 306 which leaves from the East Square of the Xi'an Central Train Station and goes to the sight directly. It will take you about 50 minutes to get there and the bus ticket is only 8RMB. If you buy your ticket entrance ticket for Terracotta Army, don't forget to show your student- or senior citizen card. Cards from all over the world are accepted and the entrance price will be 45RMB. If you don't have a card like that then you'll have to pay the standard rate of 90RMB.

Some last tips. Take some snacks and drinks yourself, cause prices inside are sky high. A small terracotta warrior figurine is of course a great souvenir but the on-site gift shops depend -as told above- on the naivety of rich Westerners. But we are not that kind, now are we! Haha. So save your money and buy some souvenirs from one of the vendors that you will encounter on the parking area, or in some shops along the main road that passes the area. And lining that same road are several pleasant restaurants to have your lunch, instead of in the mall that is built within the site-area.


If you want to read about some other places in and around Xi'an, check the following reviews on this site:
- A tourist, an expat and a local about the best of Xi'an
- The Big Wild Goose quarter
- From the ancient metropolis to the countryside of the future