Day 3: Xi'an & The Terra Cotta Warriors

Today we left the hotel to visit the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum in the outskirts of Xi'an. The museum is the largest outdoor museum in China. In 1974 a group of peasant farmers were drilling a well and discovered some pottery like pieces in a load of dirt they had raised. They told local official who employed archeologists who escalated the site. What they discovered was the tomb of the first king of China Qui who united the six kingdoms into one. He established a standardized wheel length and alphabet and began the Great Wall. His tomb included thousands of terra cotta warriors deployed throughout his burial tomb to guard him in death. His warriors included archers, Calvary, infantry, generals and master generals along with horses and chariots. The discovery has provided valuable information and early Chinese culture in the Qui reign and dynasty.