Terracotta Army + Xi'an Fortress Walls in 1 Day

Terracotta Army. An army of terracotta warriors was discovered in 1974 by peasants digging a well. The clay figures, made of yellow clay in human growth, were created to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the ruler who united China more than 2,000 years ago (p.54).

During archaeological research, three excavations were uncovered; there were more than 7,000 sculptures of soldiers, archers and horses. In the excavation 1-infantry; excavation 2 (the work is not finished) is filled with zavaleriya and soldiers, and in the beginning 3 (the work at the very beginning), apparently, the army headquarters with 70 officers is located. The features of each warrior are individual and masterfully executed.

The Qin Shi Huang Terracotta Army is only part of the vast necropolis complex. 1.5 km to the west of it is a hill, the excavation of which is yet to be done. It is believed that this is a mound over the burial of Emperor Qin Shi Huang himself. All his life he was concerned about the legacy he would leave and what awaited him after his death. He spent more than 36 years building the tomb, employing 700,000 people.

History has preserved a miniature plan of his underground empire: a floor with mercury rivers under a pearl-strewn vault of sky. The complex includes probably 48 tombs of concubines buried alive next to the emperor. The same fate befell the workers who built the necropolis, so that the place of the tomb remained a secret, near the mound were discovered two amazing bronze chariots in wooden sarcophagi. One of them, made half life size, consists of 3600 fragments.

Unlike the fortress walls of many ancient Chinese cities, including the ramparts of Beijing, now almost all destroyed, the walls of Xi'an look the same today as they did centuries ago, forming a 14-kilometer rectangle around the city center. These walls were built on the foundations of the palace complex of the Tang emperors in 1370, during the reign of the first emperor of the Ming Hun dynasty.

As a building material, ancient masters used a mixture of clay, quenched lime and extracts of glutinous rice. The thickness of the bases of 12-meter bastions is 18 m. Visitors can climb the walls in several places. It is most convenient to use the steps east of the South or West gates. The impressive walls of Xi'an still pale before the powerful fortifications that framed Changt'an (as Xi'an was called in the Tang era), which had an area of 78km2.

Value shown in dollars:

• For a group of 10 people, $55 per person
• For a group of 9 people, $58 per person
• For a group of 8 people, $62 per person
• For a group of 7 people, $67 per person
• For a group of 6 people, $74 per person
• For a group of 5 people, $84 per person
• For a group of 4 people, $88 per person
• For a group of 3 people, $110 per person
• For a group of 2 people, $150 per person
• For a group of 1 person, $276 per person

Important points

The price includes:

• Transfers and excursions under the program
• Accompanyment by a Russian-speaking guide

Not included in the price:

• Entrance tickets under the program
• Lunches.

What to bring with you:

• passport and money

The starting point of the tour:

• lounge

Transport:

• on-car

Terracotta Army + Fortress Walls