In the Spring of 1974, several farmers from the Yang Village near Xi'an were digging a well when they stumbled across the most priceless archaeological discovery of modern times!
Excavations have un-earthed thousands of terracotta warriors, each with a unique facial expression and positioned according to their ranks.
They are a replica of the Qin army from more than 2,200 years ago and it was believed that each terracotta warriors were replicas of real Chinese soldiers.
The army of statues, numbering in the thousands, is testament of the forces the first Emperor of China had at his command.
Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210BC) was the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty and he was the founder of China's first empire after unifying the Seven Warring States. If this name sounded all too familiar, that was because he is the one who ordered the building and restoration of the Great Wall of China!
Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13, Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of his tomb which took 38 years to build and utilizing the labor of over 700,000 conscripts many of whom were killed to protect the privacy of the Emperor once it was done.
Image via Google
China, a vast land with nearly four thousand years of fascinating history makes one wonder what other archaeological remains of past civilisations have yet to be discovered? And what stories have been left untold?
I have not been to China yet so what better opportunity for me to visit the Terracotta Warriors when they are on exhibition right here in Singapore at the Asian Civilisations Museum (ACM)?
ACM, where the exhibition is taking place
The broken warrior - 3D Puzzle Challenge
The broken warrior - 3D Puzzle Challenge
Ceramics
Earthenware - Musicians and dancer
Earthenware - Storyteller
Earthenware - Entertainers
Animals
Potteries and ceramics
Artefacts
Vessels
Chariot
Chariot
Suit of Armour
Currencies used by the seven Warring States before the unification of China
Moulds for making coins
Accessories for the chariot
Accessory for the horse
Sword with gold handle (770 - 476 BCE)
Jade cup
Sword and arrows
Incense burner
Bronze bell (770 - 476 BCE)
Bell
Bell of Duke Wu of Qin
Wrestler to entertain the Emperor in his afterlife
Coming up: The highlight of this exhibition!
The Terracotta Warriors!
Right
Left
The kneeling Archer
Terracotta Horse
On the left: Conscripts probably stepping on clay, mixing it with water
Pouring the mixture into a mould for the horse body
Making individual parts of the horses' body before assembling them together
Did you see someone being punished?
Putting the whole horse together
Terracotta Soldier
Mixing the clay mixture
Making the lower limbs
The upper body
Putting the parts together
Adding the final touch
Send to kiln!
ACM has launched its very own app for iPhone users, in conjunction with the Terracotta Warriors exhibition - the first of it's kind for a musuem.
Outside the exhibition hall, there is this set of clay model showing us the various steps to making a terracotta horse and warrior, enabling us to have a better understanding how the making process is like.
Terracotta Horse
Terracotta Soldier
Visitors to the exhibition can follow the narration of Li Si, Prime Minister of the Qin Empire, to his son, right before their execution.
Walking through the exhibits, visitors will be able to interact with the terracotta warriors in a variety of ways.
This is a fairly sophisticated feat accomplished with AR (Augmented Reality).
Location markers for the iPhone app
It is a splendid program to engage visitors and help them to learn more about the exhibits except that only iPhone owners get to have all the fun leaving other smart phone users out in the cold...
ASIAN CIVILISATIONS MUSEUM (ACM)
1 Empress Place
(S) 179555
Tel: 6332 2982
Website: http://www.acm.org.sg
Website: http://www.acm.org.sg
| Opening Hours | |
| Monday | 1pm - 7pm |
| Tuesday - Sunday | 9am -7pm (to 9pm on Fridays) |
| Admission Charges | |||
| Price | Concession | ||
| Adult | $8.00 | $4.00 | |
| Friday evening (7-9pm) | $4.00 | $2.00 | |
| Full time students and senior citizens | FREE | - | |
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