Terracotta Warriors

The primary purpose for visiting Xian was to see the Terracotta Warriors.  We woke up early and headed out to beat the crowds. Friendly Chinese national tourists helped us by confirming we were waiting in the proper place for the tourist bus.
There are three 'pits' open to the public for viewing. Two of these are still early in the excavation. These terracotta warriors, 6 ft tall, were made for the burial site of Emperor Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, who reigned in the third century BC.  Official estimates number the warriors, charioteers, and horses to over 9,000. Most of these are still buried. Not long after the emperor died, a rival came through and crushed many of the warriors, so many of the clay sculptures consist of tiny pieces that need to be assembled again. Fortunately, the intruders underestimated the size of the burial site and did not crush everything. The site was promptly forgotten, and other inhabitants of the area buried their dead on top of this treasure. The warriors were discovered in 1974 when a farmer was digging for a well. It is now considered one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites.
The immensity of the site took us by surprise. The details of each sculpture and the artistry was amazing. The abilities and techniques that the artists used 2,300 years ago are incredible. Although we had seen the traveling exhibit in San Francisco, it did not compare to being on site and seeing the dirt piles knowing that under each mound is yet another part of this treasure ready for discovery. We almost forgot that we were cold.