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Terra Cotta Warriors
Self proclaimed as the "eighth wonder
of the world," the unearthed Terra Cotta
Warriors are at the tomb of Emperor Qin Shi
Huang, which is located a short distance
northeast of Xi'an, China. A visit is indeed
worthwhile if only to appreciate the magnitude
of the burial site of China's first emperor.
At the combination archeological site and
museum, you can view reconstructed warriors
up close and in their original setting.
Here are our suggestions:
- Catch the green city bus (#306) across the
street from the Xi'an train station The bus
looks like (because it is) a regular bus
rather than a tourist bus. It only makes
about 10 stops on the way, with the final
stop being your destination. The bus is very
inexpensive (6 Yuan each way) and does not
force you into visits to stores, factories,
and other tourist traps that are a standard
part of the tourist bus trips. If you are
so inclined, you can get off the bus at Huaqing
Hot Springs on the way out of town and then
pay a new fare to reboard the bus and continue
on to the Warriors. Bus fare is collected
by the ticket girl on the bus.
- Professional guides are available for hire
at the Warrior site, but they are not really
necessary as similar information can be gleaned
from guide books, the introductory film,
and posted signs. If you do hire a guide,
first test their command of English and then
negotiate on the length and cost of the tour.
After we rejected their initial prices, we
got prices of about $5.00 (USD) for a 90
minute tour.
- Between the parking lot and the entrance
gate, you'll find a large, bustling street
market selling fruit (the site is in the
middle of a pomegranite orchard) and collectibles.
Bargain hard (as most booths sell similar
goods) and let the buyer be ware.
- The actual site is set back a considerable
distance from the entrance gate, so pay the
small fee for the round trip tram ride unless
you have plenty of time and energy.
- Once at the pits, view the free movie first.
It is a bit old fashion (it predates I-Max,
so it is a movie in the round using multiple
screens) and dramatic (a lot of recreated
war scenes), but it will give you a good
overview of what you will be seeing and explain
how the site was built, destroyed, and rediscovered.
- Begin your tour of the pits by visiting pit
#1 first, exiting pit #1 in the rear and
going to pit #3, then pit #2, and then stopping
by the museum to see the two miniature chariots
and horses on your way out.
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| Sample Itinerary |
Half Day Visit: Catch the #306 bus from the Xi'an train
station (runs every 10 minutes). Bring food
or plan to eat before/after visit. Allow
4-5 hours for travel and to explore the site
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