Xi'an -- Terracotta Army Pits 2 & 3

Pits Two and Three were discovered in 1976.

 

Pit 2 contained chariots, cavalry, and infantry.

 

 

The life-size statues were created in sections: head, arms, legs, torso, and then assembled. The faces were intricately made basically modeled after the person sitting across the table from the artisan! 

 

Pit Three is believed to be command headquarters.
Also found were acrobats, strongmen, and musicians.
Sadly, when the pits were sealed, Emperor Qin was content with an army made of terracotta, but wanted his concubines made of flesh and blood.....
Yes, it seems he buried his concubines alive..... 

All total there is believed to be about 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses.

 

Even found a couple of picture spots!!
(NO, these are not the actual soldiers.)

If you can see the hand of the soldier to Rodney's left, he is holding up one finger, indicating he is the #1 Man, the General. So, Rodney's holding up two fingers to indicate he'd be the #2 guy.... That works well, since we were Family #2 in our group roll call!! 

 

The pieces were originally painted in bright colors. 

 

Next up-- our noodle lunch and a few 'just had to share' shots....

Xi'an -- Terracotta Army Pit One

There's the big man himself... No, not Rodney, but the first emperor in China, Emperor Qin, who had the army built to protect him in his afterlife. Story is he also sent 300 boys and girls to an island in search of the 'medicine of eternal life'.... of course, there was none to be found, but in order to save their own lives, they fed him kiwi. 

Pit 1 houses the location of the original 1974 discovery by three farming brothers while digging a well. At that point, the farmers no longer had land to farm, so these days their (paid by the government) job is to sign autographs at the gift shop! And for US$3, they'll smile for a photo ;0)

This stop was so exciting for Rodney. He remembers as a kid going to the World's Fair and seeing a Terracotta Soldier, so to see them in real life, was pretty much a dream come true!!

The soldiers were originally standing in form of pomp and circumstance.

 

They were originally manned with real weapons, but at some point they were ransacked with the weapons being taken and the statues broken to pieces and all set ablaze.

 

 

Archaeologists are still working tediously to find pieces and reassemble the statues. We would have loved to see them working, but they only work after hours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you happen to travel to China, it is worth joining the more than 5 million tourists to see them!!

Now we were off to lunch and the other two pits!!

Xi'an -- Terracotta Factory

Before going to see the Terracotta Army, we stopped at the terracotta factory to see how some of the pieces are made today.

"We warmly welcome the friends from all over the world!"
Xi'an Daqin Terra-cotta & Lacquer Furniture Art Factory

Our chance to be a terracotta warrior!
But, these pieces weren't made of terracotta.... they were metal.

 

The entrance to the factory. 

Pressing rolls of terracotta clay into molds to make tabletop statues. 

These pieces were 3-4 feet tall. The heads and hands are attached later in the process. And, yes, they are all hollow!

She's attaching and detailing a head to this piece. 

The worker on this end is making horses. 

He was applying the lacquer to this table so fast his arms were almost blurry in real life!!! 

Some gorgeous lacquerware pieces inlaid with other stones.

 

Very detailed work

 

In the shopping area...

Almost life-size

 

My favorite was the Kneeling Archer. 

Of course a lacquerware factory would have a lacquer piece for a wash basin!!!

Then we were off to see the Terracotta Army!!!!