xian

Before the discovery of the Terracotta Warriors, the people of Xian had lived fairly quiet lives for most of the last millenium. Once, Xian had been one of the most fabulous cities in the world but only a few pagodas, temples and crumbling city walls reminded Xian of its great past. In the latter half of the 20th century, builders and farmers uncovered relics that revealed Xian to have some of the greatest archaeological and historical treasures in the world today.

For over 1,000 years, until the late 10th century, Xian (Chang'an) was capital of China and seat of the emperors of the Middle Kingdom. As the start and end of the fabled Silk Road, Xian was the destination for travelers and caravans of traders. At its peak, during the culturally sophisticated Tang dynasty (618-907AD), Xian was one of the most important cities in the world.


			As the world's sea routes developed and the importance of the overland Silk Road declined, the Tang dynasty crumbled and Xian ceased to be China's capital. Its cosmopolitan days as a center of commerce were soon forgotten. For centuries Xian slumbered, a sleepy provincial town of little interest to most of the world.

One day in 1974, some local farmers seeking a new source of water on their land, sank a hole for a new well and made one of the most remarkable archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. Beneath their land were buried life-size soldiers made from terracotta who, like Xian had been forgotten by the world.

Careful excavations eventually revealed that over 6,000 individually carved soldiers had been underground for over 2,000 years. The Terracotta Warriors had been made for First Emperor Qin Shihuang, who died in 210BC, to be his private army in the next life.

The Terracotta Warriors are just one of the remarkable secrets that lay below the surface in Xian. In 1953, building workers around Banpo, found the first signs which led to the excavation of the remains of an agricultural community who lived in the Yellow River basin over 6,000 years ago. Banpo is one of the best Neolithic sites in the world.

While the location of the Mausoleum of the First Emperor Qin Shihuang has long been known, archaeologists are cautious to excavate until they are confident that their techniques can preserve all that they find. There are stories of deadly traps within the tomb, so it may be wise to tread carefully.

Xian and the Terracotta Warriors are no longer forgotten. After the world learned about the wonders which had been unearthed the city geared up to manage the huge volume of visitors. Xian now has a modern airport and excellent amenities for tourists and is once again host to people from all around the world.