Terracotta Army
UNESCO World Heritage Site (Mausoleum Of The First Qin Emperor, 1987); National 5A Tourist Attraction · Xi'an, Shaanxi
The buried clay army of Qin Shi Huang, first emperor of China: an estimated 8,000 life-sized soldiers, horses and chariots, each face distinct, arrayed in battle formation in three excavated pits near his mausoleum outside Xi'an. Discovered by well-digging farmers in 1974 and opened as a museum in 1979, it is one of the great archaeological finds of the twentieth century and the reason most international itineraries route through Xi'an at all. The figures were once brightly painted, and only traces survive. The museum stands in Lintong, about 40 km east of the city, near the emperor's still-unexcavated burial mound, and excavation continues in front of visitors.
Qinling North Road, Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
Daily 8:30-18:00 in high season (roughly Mar 16-Nov 15), 8:30-17:30 in winter; last entry about 90 minutes before close. Open every day including Mondays.