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Join Mytour and travel blogger Carrie Kellenberger to explore the fascinating experiences she encountered during her visit to the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Xi'an, China!
The Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang – one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world
Today, I want to share a story with you about a journey that John and I embarked on in 2011. At that time, after living in Northeast China for 3 years, John and I decided to embark on a three-month trip across Asia, part of which included a long journey from Beijing to Xi'an to visit the Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world, recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1987.
Most of these photos were taken in January 2011, the day we visited the terracotta warriors on a winter day. Perhaps it was the chilly air that made the experiences particularly memorable for me. It's just those feelings that can't be put into words.
The journey to the Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang
Our journey kicked off in Tây An, traveling on a quaint local bus to reach the archaeological site. It wasn't your typical tourist bus, but rather a rugged, old local bus.
We were the only foreigners on board, surrounded mostly by Chinese workers who eyed us with curiosity. With such an old vehicle, I wasn't expecting a smooth ride. The bus broke down halfway, and we had to wait for about an hour for the driver to fix it. Fortunately, there were some roadside stalls for everyone to take refuge.
Impressed by the fascinating discoveries inside
The tomb is located north of Mount Ly Son, in Thiểm Tây province, China. It was discovered in 1974 when a farmer near the city of Tây An dug a well and found a clay head. Archaeologists then began excavating and unearthed this magnificent tomb.
The terracotta warriors are undoubtedly one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Emperor Qin Shi Huang became the Emperor of China in 246 BC and it took him 11 years to complete his tomb. According to the documents I've read, it was used to store treasures of historical and economic value. He ordered the construction of this gigantic terracotta army to accompany him into the afterlife. Many studies suggest that ancient Greek sculptures served as inspiration for Emperor Qin Shi Huang to build the terracotta army. This has yet to be explained or recorded, perhaps it's just a hypothesis.
As far as I know, this excavation has been ongoing since the 1970s but so far, scientists have only unearthed about 8000 artifacts because they faced various issues such as funding, safety, and artifact preservation.
We also took time to wander around the Emperor's mausoleum area. Although there wasn't much to see, everything was quite neatly arranged, and we could only stand on the mound and look at what had been excavated beneath our feet.
• Tourist areas: The area includes the entrance to the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the Terracotta Warriors Museum, Lishan Garden, and the bus area.
• Transportation:
– From Tây An: take bus number 5 from the east square of Tây An. The journey takes about an hour.
– From Tây An North to the Terracotta Warriors Museum, there is a free shuttle bus service, operating from 08:00 to 16:00 with return transfers at 10:30 and 19:30.
– If departing from Lâm Đồng district, you can easily catch bus number 914 or 915, with the journey taking only about 15 minutes.
From Myseveralworlds
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourNovember 24, 2015
