Up from our slumbering tombs we decided to hop onto public transit and make a dash for the Terracotta Army. There was a bit of walking required from our stop but it was a boat load cheaper than the tour bus, and we needed the dough for entry. Walking through the pop up style theme park like entrance mall was peculiar to say the least but really quite nice as well, with slate walkways and modernized traditional architecture. There were stores selling every shape, size and design of warrior figurines and statues imaginable and vendors selling whatever you could possibly want and lots that you didn't.
The grounds were separated in a few different excavation sites set up to start at the least impressive and end with the big show. We had a visitor map for the site and followed the suggested route among the herd of fellow tourists.
The site was envisioned by the Chinese emperor Quin Shi Huang as his mausoleum of protection. Construction started around 245 BCE and employed hundreds of thousands of worker stretching over many years, finally totalling over 8000 pieces including horses, chariots, calvary and warriors of all disciplines. It was an amazing site to see the meticulous detail of the facial expressions, hair styling, clothing, armour and size of each piece all individually sculpted and distinct from one another. Every member must have had their day in the sun being idolized for the afterlife as a protector of the great emperor they served. It was an incredible sight to see history nearly alive in front of us. Many figures had been broken by looters in an attempt to desecrate the grave by later leaders but many stand erect as proud soldiers protecting their empire.
Only a fraction of the area had been unearthed according to satellite imagery but it was already overwhelming at this stage. We wandered snapping pics and admiring the workmanship of the past craftsmen for a few hours before bidding farewell in appreciation and thumbing the bus back to the hostel.
It was hard to stop thinking about the enormity and impressiveness of the site the whole ride home; wondering if those were the true faces of the past we had gazed upon and if their spirit was peering back with the pride and power captured by their creators.
Once back in town we were hankering for some chow and headed over to the muslim quarter, the end of the historic Silk Road stretching from Europe to Asia. There, an abundance of delicious goodies could be found for a weary traveler to top up their tank and enjoy the music and liveliness of the market. We wandered around and picked up a musical pipe and decorative scroll at a well haggled price before making our way back home to relax and take it all in. This land is a curious fusion of past and present intertwined in crude honesty...... It's time2giver
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