Pit 1
Ranks of infantry.
Diego Tirira from Quito, Ecuador — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Ideophagous — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China — CC0 · Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China — CC0 · Alexander Savin — CC BY 2.0 · Ideophagous — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Francesco Bini — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Diego Tirira from Quito, Ecuador — CC BY-SA 2.0
One of the greatest archaeological finds of the twentieth century, thousands of fired-clay figures representing the army of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, buried with him in his mausoleum in 210–209 BC to guard him in the afterlife and found by chance in 1974 by local farmers digging a well. The three excavated pits hold more than 8,000 soldiers and 130 chariots with 520 horses; the soldiers' heights vary with their rank, the tallest being the generals, and each face has its own features, so hardly two are alike, a breathtaking work in scale and detail. The largest is Pit 1, a vast roofed hall where ranks of infantry stand in battle formation just as they were buried more than two thousand years ago, while Pits 2 and 3 reveal archers, cavalry and the command post, and the museum shows two finely made bronze chariots. Tickets are CNY 120, covering the three pits, Lishan Garden and the shuttle between them, and must be booked ahead with your passport on the official website, per visitor guides. Allow half a day and come in the morning, before the tour buses.
Ranks of infantry.
No two alike.
In the museum.
Lintong District, about 40 km east of Xi'an
CNY 120, covering the three pits, Lishan Garden and the shuttle; book ahead with your passport, per visitor guides.