TERRACOTTA ARMY

The main attraction of Xian is the terracotta army, discovered in the tomb of the first emperor Qin Shihuang, who reigned in the third Century BC.



Local peasants who were digging for a well found the 8,000-strong terracotta brick army accidentally in 1974.

The guard includes thousands of life-size soldiers and their horses in battle formation, many of which held spears, axes and other weapons.

There are also several dozen horse-drawn chariots, archers and teams of officer who are commanding the troops.

As a historical find the Terracotta army is a tourist attraction not to be missed, enabling visitors the chance to see a unique ancient find.

The tomb of Qin Shihuang lies 1,500 east of the terracotta army site. It is marked by a huge mound of earth.

There are other tombs in the region worth a visit, including Quian Tomb, a joint mausoleum for the Tang emperor Gao Zong and his empress Wu Zetian.

Others include the Zhao Tomb, belonging to the second Tang emperor Tai Zong, along with those of Prince Zhang Huai Princess Young Tai.

Another in the area is the Mao Tomb, final resting place for Emperor Wu, who was the most powerful ruler of the Han dynasty. who died in 87 BC.