Xi'an

If you haven't been to Xi'an what are you waiting for?! The Terracotta Warriors must truly be one of the great wonders of the world. I admit to being a bit of an archaeology fiend (Archaeology Magazine is the only magazine I have ever reliably read cover-to-cover within days of receiving each issue), but I have been to a lot of places and few were quite so entrancing.

True, there is less of a tendency in the West to restore archaeological finds and it is only with restoration that the Warriors have real impact (the unrestored pits were interesting, but not breathtaking in the way the restored pits were) so maybe there are other sites which would, in their original glory, have been equally impressive, but it is hard to imagine. Even in their partially-restored state, the Terracotta Warriors are extraordinary. Endless ranks of bigger-than life warrior statues, each unique. Originally they were painted in brilliant, primary colors. Today the colors have vanished, but in the restored areas each painstakingly reconstructed statue stands proudly in its place silently guarding its lord's tomb through the endless still of death.


Moving back through the site, we eventually come to the open, but not yet restored excavations. Here the warriors lie decimated, their shells shattered and jumbled by ancient marauders. In just a few decades since their discovery, thousands of warriors have already been remade. There are untold thousands more waiting patiently for their turn to rejoin their comrades in silent vigil. The magnitude of this army, wrought by ancient hands, is awe-inspring. Equally remarkable is the effort which has gone into assembling the massive jigsaw puzzle one shard at a time.

From where the warriors watch, it is more than a kilometer to the mounded tomb where the king is actually buried. The tomb stands impenetrable, sealed against time and those who would desecrate it by chambers filled with mercury, a fortress which even modern technology cannot force to reveal its secrets.

In awe in Beijing...

For more pictures see: my Xi'an Album.