The Terracotta Army dates back to the Qing Dynasty in 221 BC, when Qin Shi Huang, also known as the first emperor, ruled the region. Qin Shi Huang was made king of the state Qin at the age of thirteen, by the time he was thirty-eight, he had conquered the six neighboring states to unify China for the first time.
The Terracotta Army was built to create an illusion of strength and manpower. It was believed that as enemies approached, they would be overwhelmed by the powerful army protecting Emperor Qin's tomb and turn away. The entire army stands at attention, as if awaiting the command to attack somewhere in the next world.
In all, three pits have been discovered, but diggers continue working, as there is strong evidence even more pits exists, just waiting to be discovered. More than 6,000 full sized soldiers have so far been excavated together with 96 horses and 11 chariots. Each of the soldiers has unique facial expressions, making them uncanny but realistic. It took more than one million workers to create the army, and to lay your eyes on the masterpiece is indescribable.
The Emperor Qing's tomb, that the army is protecting, has still to be excavated, partly because archaeologist are still uncertain of its exact location, and partly because the Chinese want the tomb to remain untouched. Often Emperors amassed huge burial mounds simply to divert robber’s attention from the true site of their tomb. So the artificial mound that today marks the Emperor's tomb does not necessarily indicate the location of the central chamber. According to Sima Qian's "The Historical Records" written a century later, heaven and earth are represented in the tomb's central chamber. The ceiling, inlaid with pearls, represents the starry heavens. The floor, made of stone, forms a map of the Chinese kingdom; a hundred rivers of mercury flow across it. Recently high mercury levels have been reported near the area believed to be the tomb, archaeologist therefore think they may now have discovered the central chamber.
The Terracotta Army is located in Tong County, which is 30 kilometers from Xian.
