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Terracotta Soldiers
- 1. Terracotta Soldiers of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi
- 2. Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di
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- Imagine a football field. Now imagine five football fields. Throw about 8000 Soldiers in. A few palaces and chariots. Oh and a river of flowing mercury. What do you have? The life sized terracotta army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di. Now compared to other landmarks known to us, the terracotta army may not seem as grand, but it has proved its significance in becoming one of the eight wonders of the world. I’ve spent over a week researching this army, and found that Emperor Chin was a brilliant and unique man, so of course, his tomb had to live up to his reputation. By the end of my presentation, I hope to tell you about the story behind the army, the experience it gives to us, and what traveling there would be like.
- Before I can tell you about the soldiers, I first have to tell you about their emperor. This goofy looking man named Ying Zheng was born in 260 BC and was a member of the Chin dynasty. He ascended to the throne in 247 BC at the age of twelve. In 221 BC King Zheng united all of China and renamed himself Chin Shi Huang Di.
- During his reign, he began to connect existing walls to create the first version of the Great Wall of China, built huge palaces in the capital city, created a network of roads and canals, and standardized written language, money and measurements.
- Now in order to get all of those nice things for China, he had to be a little bit of a diva, or what historians would call a tyrant. This is what led to building of his great tomb.
- According to Chinese historian SimaQian, over 700,000 workers were forced to create the terracotta army. There are over 8000 soldiers, equipped with real weapons and real armor. They are positioned exactly as they would be in battle, with each rank of officer in the correct place.
- Emperor Chin wanted each soldier to be unique, so there was eight molds used for faces, then clay was added later to add specific features.
- Along with the soldiers there are over 500 horses, about 150 chariots, and a rumored river of mercury, that has yet to be excavated.
- As far as how the terracotta soldiers give us an experience to remember, they haven’t actually had a very long time to do so. In 1974, a group of farmers were digging a well and discovered that they were actually unearthing a burial site. So it’s only been about 40 years since the world has known about it. Now the soldiers attract around 20,000 people for tours each year. And it has been said that going to China and not seeing the Terracotta Army is like going to Egypt and missing the Pyramids.
- If you ever do feel like traveling to see the terracotta army, it’s seems fairly easy. According to TravelChinaGuide.com, you would need to get a plane to go to the Xian Xianyang International Airport. From there you can either take a bus, or a taxi straight to the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors, where you can then decide which part of the tomb you would like to see.
- By now, if you paid attention you should know all about the story behind the army, the experience it gives to us, and what traveling there would be like. I’ve spent over a week researching this army, and found that Emperor Chin was a brilliant and unique man, so of course, his tomb had to live up to his reputation. Now compared to other landmarks known to us, the terracotta army may not seem as grand, but it has proved its significance in becoming one of the eight wonders of the world and the since the excavation isn’t finished yet, the best is yet to come!