Traveling through the dust of thousands of years: an in-depth look at an “underground army”.

A brief introduction to the Terracotta Army The Terracotta Army is the core of the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, it is located in a village of Xi’an city, Shanxi Province, China. Terracotta Army, as a stunning and historic heritage site, was inscribed on the Word Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987. According to historical records, Terracotta Army was built between 246BC and 208BC，after ascending the throne, Qin Shi Huang began to build his own mausoleum. The construction process took 39 years and lasted through his entire life. However, after research by historians and archaeologists, they tend to believe that the construction time of the Terracotta Army of Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum might have been between 219 BC and 213 BC, lasting for seven years. The discovery of the Terracotta Army. Although Terracotta Army has existed for over 2000 years, it was not discovered until 1974. In 1974, a villager in Lintong County, Xi'an City, accidentally discovered fragments of the Terracotta Army while digging a well to draw water. Subsequently, this discovery was reported to the state, and the Terracotta Army was able to be excavated on a large scale and reappeared in the world.

Is what we see the real Terracotta Army? Nowadays, the Terracotta Army we see are all dull and colorless. Perhaps most people think that the original Terracotta Army is colorless. However, the truth is not as people think. When the Terracotta Army was first unearthed, their clothes and weapons were all in bright colors. However, as the colors of the Terracotta Army are natural dyes, under the oxidation of air and the influence of temperature and humidity, these colors will quickly fall off within a few minutes, leaving only the original color of the clay(terracotta). To protect the original color and structure of the Terracotta Army and considering the current limited technology,

From Clay to "Divine Soldier”: The craftsmanship of the Terracotta Army conceals the top-notch techniques from over two thousand years ago. The reason why the Terracotta Army is so famous and renowned worldwide lies not only in its long history but also in its construction techniques. The manufacturing of the Terracotta Army was not a standardized process, and the "thousands of faces for thousands of people" of the Terracotta Army is a profound proof of this. As many as eight thousand Terracotta Army have been excavated, and each one has a different appearance, expression, costume and weapon. In addition, the average height of these Terracotta Warriors is 1.85 meters, and their height is higher than that of most men nowadays. And these thousands of different Terracotta Army were all made by hand by artisans. This reflects the superb skills of the artisans at that time as well as their profound observation of real life. The Terracotta Army is not only a testament to the military might of the dynasty but also a "gentle" turning point in the system of human sacrifice. Qin Shi Huang, as the first emperor in Chinese history to achieve a unified country, his achievement were great and unprecedented. Perhaps Qin Shi Huang's purpose in building the Terracotta Army was to showcase the powerful military strength of the Qin Dynasty under his rule, or perhaps he wanted to bring his achievements to the afterlife. However, regardless of the purpose, the Terracotta Army replaced the cruel system of human sacrifice. The construction of the Terracotta Army had a very positive impact. Tips for Visiting the Terracotta Army. The Terracotta Army is not in the city center. It is 45 kilometers away from the city center, about a forty-minute drive. You can get there by car or by taking a special bus. The facilities in the Terracotta Army Museum are already quite complete. The museum is equipped with air conditioning facilities and the temperature is suitable. However, during peak tourist seasons such as winter and summer vacations, there will be a huge number of visitors. Visitors need to queue up to enter the museum, and the waiting time may last up to an hour. But I believe that when you see the Terracotta Army, a world treasure known as a miracle, with your own eyes, you will feel that all the waiting is worth it.