The Terracotta Warriors 兵马俑 Bīng Mǎ Yǒng
This is without a doubt the reason that most travelers venture to Xi’an, to see the lost army known as the Terracotta Warriors. The finding of the Terracotta Warriors was one of the most monumental and historic findings of the 20th Century. The historical significance of the Terracotta Warriors is monumental not only to China but to the entire world.
Honestly though, I was a little let down by the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit. I thought it would be different. It was very commercialized in the exhibit, with about as much people as a Beijing Subway train during rush hour. The Terracotta Warriors have had a big warehouse built around the spot where they were found. The sculptures of the soldiers were impressive considering when they were made, however, they didn’t seem all that much different from the replicas placed outside of some restaurants in Xi’an(and all over China for that matter). I know the significance of these statues are monumental but at face value they seem a bit underwhelming.
Now with all of that said I still believe that everyone visiting China should see the Terracotta Warriors andI hope my subpar description of the exhibit hasn’t deterred anyone from wanting to go. Maybe I’m crazy for thinking like this. So, my suggestion is for all to go and check it out for yourselves. You may end up thinking that it is one of the best placesthat you’ve ever been.
How to get to the Terracotta Warriors?
Possibly the easiest and cheapest way to get to the Terracotta Warriors is to take a bus there. The bus departs from the train station. The regular train station not the high speed train station. The trip from Xi’an to the Terracotta Warriors will take approximately 2 hours.
The English Tour Guides
When you get to the entrance of the Terracotta Warriors you will undoubtedly see several people saying that they are “English tour guides”. Don’t waste your money. It is not worth spending anywhere from 100-300RMB to have these people give you the most mediocre walk through of an area that you’ve ever had. Firstly, these English speaking tour guides don’t speak very good English and I would be so bold as to say that, other than their rehearsed script, they speak little to no English. These English tour guides will not stray from their script at any point in the tour and will recite it in the most monotone Ben Stein voice possible. I understand that if your job was to give tours of the same place every day it could get mundane, however, it seems like these people lost interest in their job about ten years ago and are in the midst of a deep depression.
Furthermore, if you’d like to know a fun fact about the script that these tour guides so painfully recite over and over again… it is the exact (word for word) same thing that is written on the description signs in the different section of the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit. I know this because I onone of the stops I followed along with what the tour guide was saying by reading the description. The only difference between the words on the description sign and the tour guides was that at least the description didn’t butcher the pronunciation.
If you have a question that you would like to ask during the course of the tour all I have to say is ‘good luck’. There is a very real language barrier between the tour guide and you and in the unlikely event that they understand you, you will likely not geta satisfying(nor comprehendible)response. The cherry on top though is that after the walk-through of Terracotta Warriors Exhibit you will be told by the tour guide that you must go to the jewelry store next to the exhibit. This is a waste of time. All of the jewelry sold in this store is vastly overpriced and not worth even considering.
Side note: Never by anything worthwhile from a store located near a tourist attraction. It will be overpriced and there are no assurances on the quality of the product that you purchase. The best option is to wait until you return to town and then search for whatever item peaked your interest. Also, at the stores near the tourist attractions the salespeople will harass you without hesitation. One more reason not to give them your business.
Be advised that the English tour guides at the Terracotta Warriors do not represent all of the tour guides throughout China. I have had some great tour guides while traveling throughout China but based on my experience and things that other people have told me, I would advise anyone traveling to the Terracotta Warriors to save their money and avoid the tour guides.
杨志发 Yáng Zhì Fā
This is the man that discovered the Terracotta Warriors. He was digging a well in 1974 when he discover a treasure that would change the rest of his life. He is now retired and will at times be outside the entrance of the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit signing books. The books can be bought while lining up for his signature. I am neither sure how much the books cost nor how much it costs for him to sign them. Nonetheless I don’t think that this is a good investment of money. This man is neither an archeologist nor a scientist, he merely stumbled upon the find of a lifetime. I personally don’t see the need to get his autograph. I could be wrong though, who knows in 50 years his autograph might be worth quite a bit of money. I doubt it though given the amount of books that he has signed over the years.
The Tomb of the Emperor 秦始皇帝陵 Qín shǐ huáng dì líng
After visiting the Terracotta Warriors Exhibit the next place that you will have the option to see is the Tomb of the Emperor (to be honest I’m not sure which emperor, there have been a lot of them in Chinese History). Now, when most people think of a tomb they probably think of the Egyptian tombs that look like something out of the movie the Mummy. Well this might be a little disappointing for you then.
This tomb looks nothing like their Egyptian counterparts at all. Chinese tombs in general look very different. I had beensearching for the tomb for 20 minutes before realizing that I had been staring right at it the whole time. Chinese tombs look more like a hill. There is no specific markings that indicate the exact location of where the body was buried. However, there is a statue of the Emperor just before the hill. I would recommend spending 10 to 15 minutes here. There is not much to see here and if you choose not to go to the tomb part… you wouldn’t be missing much.
International Kev 