Xian is home to the world-famous Terracotta Warriors Army and Horses, one of the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. There are a couple of burying sites, where 7,000 of these life-sized figures were constructed to guard Emperor Qin Shihuang's tomb.

Features of Terracotta Warriors

It takes a drastic method to create a Terracotta Warrior, starting with the molding of the legs, body and arms and then fixing them together. Working on tiny details to express different characters and mental states, Qin's artisans went to great length to make the warriors look like the real ones. Every single warrior's eyes differ from one another. For example, canny warriors were created with graceful eyebrows and eyes; brave soldiers with wide and staring eyes; simple and honest soldiers with a big head, wide face, bushy eyebrows and big eyes. In general, the warriors with squinty eyes and tender smile show their confidence to win the war, while the one with wide open eyes like in a fury show their hate toward the enemy. The soldiers looking down are supposed to be the one shy and quiet; the one looking forward have eyeballs in the center of the eyelids while the one looking up have eyeballs titled up slightly.

Exhibition Hall of Terracotta Warriors

Three enormous pits are filled with row upon row of these remarkable effigies, with the first pit alone holding some 6,000 examples in excellent condition. There is a fourth exhibition space which holds other pieces found here, including bronze horses and chariots. Since the excavation among the three pits, over 7,000 terracotta soldiers, horses, chariots and even weapons have been unearthed; most of them were restored to their former grandeur. Differing from any other in terms of facial features and expressions, clothing, hairstyle, and gestures the Terracotta warriors are a treasure of civilization showing how China was already one of the most advanced civilizations of its age about 2,000 years ago. All kinds of military ranks can be found in the pits: horsemen, longbow bearers, archers, senior officers and generals…positioned in strict accordance with the ancient Art of War. They truly are a marvel for the eyes of the visitors.

All these terracotta figures transport travelers to another world, to the time of Ancient Warring States when Emperors, kingdoms and wars where all about it. Emperor Qin Shihuang's Army and Horses are a treasure of ancient civilization, a treasure for the Chinese people.

As we all know, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China.

Qin Shi Huang - First Emperor of China
Terracotta Warrior Army

The first emperor of China, Qinshihung-Yingzheng arranged his burial place long before his accession to the seat of supreme power. Following the proclamation of the Empire of Ten Thousand Generations in 221, work at the burial place took on extraordinary dimensions. According to Sima Qian (circa 145-95 B.C.), the great memorialist who collected all the extant oral traditions of his day, 700,000 workers from every province of the Empire toiled unceasingly until the death of the Emperor in 210 in order to construct a subterranean city within a gigantic mound. The place was a veritable scale model of the palace, the empire and the world. Its treasures were safeguarded by automatically triggered weapons designed to thwart tomb robbers. After Qin Shi Huang's death, the principal craftmen of the hypogeum were walled up upon order by the second emperor, as a precaution that they not betray their secrets.

Six Surprises about Terracotta Warriors
Large Scale of Terracotta Warriors

The First Surprise – Two four-horse chariots in close proximity. The Second Surprise – Half of the face of a terracotta warrior retains its original paint. The Third Surprise – A four inch bronze arrow head is found still sharp, although it has been buried for over 2,000 years. The Fourth Surprise – A big wooden ring is painted in red and green. The Fifth Surprise – Over 150 terracotta warriors, two horse chariots and eight terracotta horses will be unearthed in trial trench T23. The Sixth Surprise – For the next few years, visitors will be able to see the excavation process while visiting the Pit 1.

Going There by Bus is Highly Recommend
For money-saving trip to the Army of Terracotta Warriors, take a public bus is a good choice. It is very easy to find the special Tourism Bus 5(Bus No. 306) running between Xian Railway Station to Terracotta Army Museum. If you stand in front of Xian Railway Station, The Bus 5(306) parks at the parking lot on your right or east side. Just jump on the bus and later a bus guide will come to you and collect the money-RMB 7per person.

Be sure to get off at the last destination-Terracotta Army Museum since the Bus 5(306) is scheduled to stop at several tourist attractions including Huaqing Hotspring, Qinshihuang's Mausoleum. Just stay on the bus terminal. After finishing your visiting the museum, it is also convenient for you to take this bus back to the city downtown.

Zhangjiajie in Hunan Province has become more famous since the release of the 2009 movie Avatar. Enjoy the spectacular views with visiting the area, know better about Zhangjiajie before your visit.

What is Zhangjiajie Like?
Zhangjiajie is located in the northwest Hunan Province. It is divided into four regions: Zhangjiajie National Park, Suoxiyu Nature Reserve, Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve and Yangjiajie Scenic Area. Do you watch the Avatar movie? Yes if you watch it, you will have the imagination what Zhangjiajie could be like. The Pandora Hallelujah Mountain in Avatar movie got the image of Zhangjiajie. Come to the national park then you will personally see how the Hallelujah Mountain it is.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

Zhangjiajie National Park is home to breathtaking natural landscapes, a variety of animals and plants, and is famous for its unique peaks, quiet valleys and elegant forests. There has more than 3,100 towering quartz pillars including Hallelujah Mountain. Not only becomes a home for beautiful and charming scenic views, Zhangjiajie also become a home to three ethnic groups include Tujia, Bai and Miao, which make up 70% of the local population. These Chinese ethnic minority groups are offers their traditional culture include festivals, traditional, architectural styles, language etc.

Around Zhangjiajie, there have lots of interesting scenic areas include Baofeng Lake, Yellow Dragon Cave, Suoxi Valley Nature Reserve, and others. Covering a total area of 396 square kilometers, Zhangjiajie also has been listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage in 1992 for its lush vegetation, unique sandstone pillars, pristine waters and a wide variety of species of flora and fauna.

Entrance Ticket and Cable Car
You can get the entrance ticket in the main entrance which costs 245 RMB and includes 3 day park pass, free rides on the internal bus system, and some sort of insurance. You can get a discount ticket if you are 60 years old or older and student which bring student card.

There have two cable car routes and two main ticketing gates (one at Zhangjiajie, in the west side) and one at Wulingyuan, east side.

How to get Zhangjiajie?
Travel in Zhangjiajie

By plane:
Hehua Airport (Lotus Airport), the airport in Zhangjiajie, serves over 20 destinations to mainland Chinese cities, such as Changsha, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing.
By train:
Zhangjiajie has two railway stations in total. By train you could reach Zhangjiajie from many big cities around China such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Changsha and others. From Zhangjiajie Railway Station, visitors could reach the center of the city by bus (20 minutes) from just the opposite of the railway station.
By Bus:
From the downtown, there are several bus routes to the Zhangjiajie. Make sure and check the route before your trip.

Have a majestic nature view around, Zhangjiajie has already become one of the most popular tourists destinations today. Discover the beauty and charm of Zhangjiajie National Forest Park now!