In 247 BC, when the future Emperor of China was only 13, his father died and he ascended the throne as the King of Qin (pronounced Chin). He later set about conquering the six other feudal states, and succeeded in 221 BC.
He unified the territories and at the age of 39 declared himself to be "Qin Shihuang Di" - the first Emperor of China.
He built the Great Wall, introduced coinage which remained virtually unchanged for 2,000 years, standardised the written word and weights and measures - and sought the secret of immortality while at the same time building his tomb.
Work on his Mausoleum started soon after the 13-year-old became King of Qin. It is estimated that as many as 720,000 conscripts worked on the project, and construction took 38 years - beginning in 247 BC and not finishing until 208 BC, two years after his death.
The ancient Chinese had a strong belief in the afterlife and believed that the underworld would be a continuation of their present life. So to make that adventure as pleasant as possible, the First Emperors tomb re-created the most lavish palace imaginable.
And because in this life he saw enemies everywhere, he created an army of warriors. Their purpose was to continue to protect him in the afterlife, to keep him in power and help him dominate the other world just as he had this.
His concubines (3,000 of them) who had no children were ordered to follow him to the grave; and to protect the secrets of his burial, thousands of officials and tomb builders were buried alive with his body.
These measures were so effective that the secrets of Qin Shihuang were not discovered for 2,200 years Then, on March 29, 1974, farmers in Lintong County, who were drilling in search of water, came across pottery fragments and ancient bronze weapons.
Their discovery attracted archaeologists to the site, and eventually lead to the revelation of the First Emperors buried army
The Terracotta Warriors of Qin Exhibition recreates the discoveries uncovered by those who opened up pits that held about 8,000 incredibly detailed, life-size terracotta figures - a fully equipped army lined up in battle formation, along with horses, chariots and weapons.
These warriors, including officers, infantry, crossbow and cavalry men, are known as the Terracotta Army - described as the eighth wonder of the world.
These warriors, including officers, infantry, crossbow and cavalry men, are known as the Terracotta Army - described as the eighth wonder of the world.
Hundreds of genuine weapons from the Warring States period and Qin Dynasty (pre-206 BC) C swords, spears, arrows, axes, daggers C are also displayed, along with authentic museum pieces: Tomb objects, coins, seals, and rare bronze and jade works of art.
The colourful carriage is decorated with geometric and cloud patterns; the horses are adorned with gold and silver and the roof is umbrella shaped, said to be symbolic of the round sky.
When excavated, the chariot and horses were smashed into thousands of pieces, and it took eight years of painstaking work to restore them.
The original chariot can never leave China and this replica has been meticulously recreated down to the last detail. It is exactly the same size as the chariot and horses in the tomb.
Very few exhibitions anywhere in the world have ever displayed examples of the chariot.
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