The figures, dating from 210 BC, were discovered in 1974 by some local farmers near Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China near the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.
The figures vary in height 1.83–1.95 metres (6.0–6.4 ft), according to their roles, with the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits.
First we head off to the train to catch a bus to the site of the Warriors. On the way to the station a Chinese man tried to pickpocket me. But my stealth reflexes and skills scared him off and I walked away with all my belongings and a lower opinion of the Chinese. I have been to 6 different countries and the only country thus far to have any person try to pickpocket me was in China. No worries though, I walked around the rest of the trip BEGGING another cheap bastard to try and take my money so I could teach him and American lesson (via Korean Taekwondo) about taking what's not yours...
Back to the soldiers. The basic story is that a farmer found them back in 1974. When the government found out about them they paid the farmer $5 (which isn't even enough to cover the entrance fee to the park today) and built a park around them. They are STILL working on digging up the rest of the soldiers.
We ate some corn and pea ice cream for a snack and headed back to the city.
After we got back we had dinner. Pearl tea...
Sweet and sour pork...
Let's call this "crazy spaghetti"...
After dinner we headed back to the market and went down a different road. Jessica bought souveniers this time. We picked up some pasteries on the way back to our hotel and then went to bed for the night.
No comments:
Post a Comment