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I'll post my commentary soon. I wanted to get the photos uploaded first. The site is about 30-40 minutes outside of Xi'An, and the government has built a small town at the site, with homes, lots of shops, various tourist facilities. It's become a large enterprise. It was astonishing to see these life-size replicas of humanity; all perfect, yet all so different in appearance, clothing, weapons, gear, attachments. One can scarcely imagine the skill and the number of artisans who created these masterpieces of art. It is possible to purchase replicas - copies made in the shops on the site - at prices ranging from a few hundred yuan to about 10,000 for a full-size figure. The Qin Tomb is another fascinating prospect but it has not yet been opened. It remains sealed while the government tries to learn as much as possible about the interior contents and possible risks and dangers. The Terracotta warriors were beautifully painted when first found, but exposure to the air was disastrous for most of them and the lovely colors disappeared within months, and sometimes within hours of exposure. For the Qin Tomb, the government doesn't want the same experience so they are proceeding cautiously. It isn't only from the atmosphere, but many legends exist about dangerous traps inside the tomb. As one example, it has already been determined that the passageways in the tomb were flooded with mercury prior to interment. For sure the fumes would have killed all those who remained inside to guard, but the purpose was to kill all those who might ever dare to enter the tomb once sealed. |
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I have posted three pages of photos. You can access them here:
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