The actual number of warriors buried near the Emperors tomb in Xian is unknown. Experts claim that there are between 7,000 and 8,000 warriors and horses in the three pits opened so far; but this is only an estimate, because all of the pits have not been excavated.
In fact, since the site's discovery in 1974, archaeologists have unearthed and reconstructed less than 2,000 of the life-size figures.
Today the warriors on display are shades of terracotta and grey. When they were buried, though, each one was painted in bright colours.
But once the warriors see the light of day after more than 2,200 years of burial, their paint disappears, sometimes within minutes of exposure.
The warriors were originally coated with polychromea material consisting of a lacquer base topped by a layer of pigment. Because water-saturated soil at the site has altered the lacquer, the coating cracks and peels off once the warriors are removed from their soil encasements.
Did he REALLY look like that? There are dozens of pictures and drawings of the First Emperor; but are any of them an accurate depiction of what he looked like? Sadly, the answer is no. There is no known accurate portrait of him.
Visitors looking at the large number of terracotta warriors in Xian often comment that many of them seem to have the sort of pot bellies developed by beer drinkers. And theyre partially right. It is believed that the real soldiers were given plenty of wine rations before a battle and then rewarded with more after the fight.
Are the separate warriors really portraits of different individuals who were serving in the real army of the day? Again, the answer is no. At the time there was no portraiture tradition in China and artists didnt sit down and try to record the exact features of their subject.
Researchers tell us there are about ten face types to be found in the soldiers of the underground army, and the artist makes them less generic by creating different hair, beard, eyebrows and so on.
The 8th Wonder of the World!
- Terracotta Warriors of Qin Exhibition 
2025