Terracotta Warriors

Saturday, June 26
Today was our trip to the countryside near Xi’an, where the Terracotta warriors lay hidden for thousands of years. Designed to be a force to defend the emperor in his afterlife, the foot soldiers and cavalry and chariots were forgotten until farmers, drilling for a new well, accidentally came upon the ancient force in the 70s. Many of the warriors remain buried, as the painstaking archeological work continues to this very day. While many of the warriors share the same body, each of their faces is different. The artisans made them to share the likenesses of the emperor’s real-life soldiers. Their hands grasp swords and bows and arrows that have long since disintegrated, but their faces reflect the determination of a well-trained and experienced guard worthy of an emperor.
Finally we spent the evening in the Muslim quarter. Xi’an is home to a sizable Muslim minority. Some of the best deals in town can be had here, but the crowds on this Saturday night were HUGE! We walked through the crowded alleyways and bought a few souvenirs. The evening was unusually cool and even a few raindrops fell, which the people in this dry province were surely glad to see.