Xi'an, Peoples Republic of China

Continuing our adventure, we flew from Guilin to Xi’an, the historical and cultural capital of China.  After visits to the Xi’an City Wall,

 

 

 

the Wild Goose Pagoda,

 

and the Jade Factory.

The main reason one comes to Xi’an is to visit the site of the Terra Cotta Soldiers.  This site is termed by the Chinese as the 8^th wonder of the world. 

This is how the soldiers look when they were found.

 

In 1974, while digging a well, a farmer uncovered some pottery shards and bronze weapons.  He had uncovered terra cotta army guarding the mausoleum of Emperor QinShihuang, the first emperor to unite China.  Further and ongoing excavation continues to uncover the Terra Cotta Soldiers.  This has now become a museum which has been placed on the UNESCO list as a world-class cultural heritage site. The actual mausoleum is a mound of earth and has not been excavated.  Amazing place.

Here is the farmer who found the soldiers signing our book.  You can believe it if you want.  The skeptical Americans believe that there are multiple “farmers” working various shifts to sign the tourist’s books.  Oh well.