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14 Maret 2012

The Terracotta Warriors and Horses

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These well detailed life-size warriors and their horses depict a significant aspect of Chinese history and therefore are one of the most interesting, and not be missed attractions while visiting China. 


The importance of this Terracotta Warriors and their Horses is simply because it signifies and represents an army which outperformed all other armies in China and managed to unite China. The life-size detailed figures depict how each warrior faced battle and the labour and the skill involved in this amazing task of portraying a whole army in clay also shows the kind of craftsmanship that existed in China. 


The soldiers and horses are made to life-size and each figure is unique, which would mean that each soldier or horse would have to be made from scratch – no scale economies here! Height, facial expressions, and posture vary and also the kind of uniform and hairstyle worn is in accordance with each soldier’s rank. The figures had originally been painted for a complete effect; red, green, pink, blue, white, black, brown and lilac pigmentation had been used to add detail. Features such as the kind of weapons each figure is holding, such as spears, crossbows and swords, and some of them in action stance also shows off the ranks and uniqueness of each soldier. 

Altogether over 7,000 terracotta figures have been found in this archaeological site. These include soldiers, weapons, horses and chariots. There were also bronze carriages, figures of acrobats, stone armour suits, bronze cranes and duck, and even figures of labourers found in these excavations. Today most of these amazing figures can be seen at the museum which houses the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, and some of the figures are arranged in battle formation for that complete effect.


Those visiting Xian will find various other attractions which are as interesting as the Terracotta figures. Xian accommodation options can be found online and depending on your budget and requirements the perfect type of accommodation can be booked. For those on longer vacations the perfect type of accommodation are the serviced apartments Xian offered by Citadines Xingqing Palace Xi'an. These serviced apartments also come in a range of options, but all afford modern amenities and facilities.