Terracotta Warriors.

China is a BIG country. Over 1.3 billion people and geographically about the size of the United States. The country is also MUCH older with a very rich history. Somehow i managed to experience the top two most popular attractions in this large country in and around Beijing.. the Forbidden City and the Great Wall. The third most visited site in China is the home of the Terracotta Warriors. No doubt you have seen the photos.

The detail of the soldier's faces and uniforms is incredible.

Now raise your hand if you have heard of Xi'an. This is the average sized Chinese city located in the center west of the country. At over 8 million, this "average" Chinese city would be the second largest in the U.S. (twice the size of LA, just behind NYC). Xi'an is also the gateway to visiting the recently unearthed Terracotta Warriors.

The building that houses the Terracotta Army.

We all have seen the photos, but it was the fascinating details behind their existence that captivated me. Over 8,000 life-size warriors and horses were created from clay, fired in massive kilns, and painted before being buried with the Emperor of Qin 2,200 years ago. Along with the soldiers and horses were over 10,000 weapons. It was believed that the Emperor's clay army would join him in the afterlife to protect and serve him. What is amazing is that this massive underground tomb was not discovered until 1974, when a local farmer was trying to dig a well and struck something unusual.

Over 8,000 soldiers and horses stretch for nearly three football fields.

The site today is covered by a massive building to protect the soldiers while allowing visitors to see the Army for themselves. The soldiers are arranged in a battle formation, with infantry and charioteers led by three rows of elite archers. Each soldier has distinct facial features, and it is believed that the faces were modeled after actual soldiers living at the time. Even the soldier's dress is extremely detailed, down to the rivets holding their armor together. The weapons the soldiers once held were coated with a chrome saline oxide, so that after 2,200 years the weapons are still sharp!

Close-up of soldier and his horses.

The main site has not even been completely excavated. Archaeologists are trying to figure out how to dig out the soldiers without removing their paint, something they have yet to do. Also, since the first soldiers were first discovered, over 180 new sites in the area have been identified as having clay soldiers. The local authorities are trying to decide whether to continue excavating at the main site, or allocate their resources to unearthing the new sites.

Pretty good shape for 2,200 years old.

Being the curious guy that i am, i had several questions. I never hire a guide, preferring to explore a site at my own pace. However, sometimes having a guide is quite valuable for the insight you receive. I pulled aside three Chinese guides leading English groups and asked them all the same question - "The Terracotta Soldiers have facial hair, many have beards in fact, but modern day Chinese don't grow facial hair.. what's up with that?!" The first two guides had no answer, but the third explained that the Warriors were of Mongolian descent. The Mongols do grow facial hair.

Soldiers line up and ready for battle in the afterlife.

It is fascinating to see the Terracotta Warriors. I am quite curious to see if the archaeologists make any new major discoveries, particularly at one of the other 180 new sites. It is entirely possible that an even larger clay army is still out there.. waiting to be discovered.