Terra-cotta Soldiers

At the museum, estimates say there are 8,000 Terra-cotta soldiers. I believe about 600,000 peasants were used to build these during Qin Shihuangi’s reign as first emperor of Qin in 210 BC. Excavating began in 1974 after the army was discovered when a water well was being dug in the farmland. Wang, one of the founders of the soldiers, is still alive today at eighty some years of age and will personalize a historical book from the gift shop by signing it. According to the museum, the soldiers are referred to as the eighth wonder of the world. There are three digging and restoration pits along with a historical building at the site. Pit one is primarily where all the Terra-cotta men and horses are located, with workers trying to piece together bodies of armor. A lot of soldiers required piecing together because the army’s storage building was partially demolished during wars. The second and third pit, left fairly untouched, have dim lighting because artificial light fades the colored paint that is adorned on some of the statues. Apart from these details, wow! It is one thing to see pictures in history textbooks and be amazed but quite another to see in person. Just the amount of time, materials, peasants, and money required to build the soldiers is tremendous. Plus, the large quantity makes it hard to believe that such a work of art could have ever been hidden; it is surprising that the fact of a site filled with soldiers was not passed down to generations of men.