The Deets on Devon: Xi'an and the Terracotta Warriors

My Trip to Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors: March 19-20, 2011

My mom really wanted me to go and see this amazing place. I am glad she pushed me to go as I now feel I have really traveled to all the places I have wanted to see in China before I move in June.

Interesting fact is that this city was the beginning of the Silk Road and the inner city is still surrounded by the a wall. The emperor of the time I think his name was Qin (Dynasty) helped to bring the name of the country, same with the tea drinking cups "china". I guess he was a huge tyrant and not nice man and when the people rebelled they found his army that he created for his afterlife and smashed them to bits. A farmer in the 70's (whom I actually met) found this historic site and some interested broken clay faces while digging for a well. He realized the possible significance and contacted the government. Thus he is a hero although he is no longer a farmer... Here are the photos. Each warrior is unique and the men that built them were slaves and many time lost their lives if the creation was not perfect.

Watch out, woman general!

All men must read!

Fun!

warriors drying

drying first before the kiln

Mold for small soldiers

perfecting the mould

miniature warriors!!

creating indiv. faces for the warriors

Factory man, smoking! Only in China

Best jeans ever!

In all their glory

the detail is amazing

happy or not?

swords are gone now...

my screen saver

interesting man

lone sentry

Me proving I was there!

Since there are so many that were smashed if not most of them , they go to the clinic to be placed back together. They use digital images to get the pieces to the right warrior and then they are pieced back together. Each one takes about a year. They work at night so that people can observe them during the day.

infirmary

soldiers

getting ready to be placed in the lines

he was not smashed and is preserved in glass.

I loved this guy!

he still has some color left to him

look at the detail in the shoe!

gotta love the hair!

all the color oxidized and is gone now

picture of a picture - the original find

slowly they rebuild.

DAY 2: The Walled CITY:

Awesome dragon on the top of the wall

Around the inner city is a 9km wall and we got to bike over it. There is also a mote and three sets of doors for security. This emperor was worried about his enemies.. his idea for the wall and he unified what we know now as China. Great vision yet scary man.