Excursion from Xi'an to the terracotta army and to the antique street

Acquaintance with Xian, where clay warriors keep silent, and ancient shops whisper stories...

In the vicinity of ancient Xian more than two millennia dormant army, which is not afraid of time or oblivion. This is Bingmayun, the terracotta army of the first emperor of united China, Qin Shi Huang. He believed he would need protection in the afterlife. Thus was born the idea of a terracotta army - an eternal guard at the tomb of the lord. All figures are made in life size and unique: each warrior has individual facial features, hairstyle, armor.

The location of the army is not accidental: the soldiers are facing the east - where the defeated kingdoms were. Stroy repeats the structure of the real Qin army with flanks, avant-garde and reserve. Officers are higher than privates, and their armor is more detailed - a reflection of the strict hierarchy of the empire. According to legend, the souls of soldiers moved into terracotta bodies to forever protect the peace of the emperor. Archaeologists note that many figures seem to “look” at one point – perhaps this is a ritual technique.

The tomb of Qin Shi Huang has not yet been opened. Ancient texts describe it as a miniature world with rivers of mercury and stars of precious stones. Modern measurements record abnormally high levels of mercury in the soil – is this evidence of legend?

Today, Bingmayun is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited archaeological complexes in China.

Imagine a place where the vendors are sure that you came to visit them, and not they to your work, and around the corner there may well be a vase that remembers the Ming dynasty. Welcome to Wenhuajie, Xi’an’s antique street, where history is not exposed to glass, but lives right in front of you. It’s not a shop, a market, or even a museum – it’s a parallel reality, where old scales weigh goods so slowly that you have time to think about the meaning of life; shopkeepers talk about their treasures with such fervor as if they are their personal family heirlooms (and sometimes they are); the air is saturated with the smell of old wood, varnish and tea – as if someone has brewed an entire era. Here you can watch how the master restores an ancient casket, try tea from a cup that is older than you (sellers sometimes treat you), find an inconspicuous shop with things from the time of the Cultural Revolution - there even badges with Mao look mysterious ...

Both attractions you will see in the framework of the sightseeing tour with a guide, after its completion - transfer to the hotel.

• Included in the price: services of a professional Russian-speaking guide, transfer between objects on comfortable transport (Volkswagen Passat, Buick, Mercedes-Benz, minibus),
• Additional expenses: meals, tips to the guide (optional, but welcome). Entrance tickets to the Terracotta Army Museum
• Required documents: passport valid for at least 6 months from the end of the trip, visa (unless a visa-free regime is applied), passport data will be required to visit.