Last night, I had the amazing opportunity to join other fellow bloggers and photographers at the sneak-preview of the Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor exhibit. It is an amazing and awe-inspiring collection of detailed weaponry, life-size figures, limestone armor, and intricate details I've never had the priviledge to see first-hand before.
I was immediately taken by the sheer size of the figures. On first entering the exhibit, you're immediately met by a massive horse and calvary man that looms large in the entry room.
The entire exhibit is bursting with the essence of ancient China from the paintings and artifacts adorning the walls, to the low ambience of oriental music, to the lush reds, oranges and browns used in the colour scheme.
Ruins from a Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) city have been discovered in Wuyuan County, Hetao Plain, China’s Inner Mongolia. It’s said that the scale of the city ruins is rarely seen in Hetao Plain. In a mean while, the gold mining company is been investigated over irreparable damage done to 100 meters of the Great Wall in their quest for the precious metal.
A new Han City discovered in Wuyuan County
The newly discovered city ruins are located in Taal Town of Wuyuan County, Bayannaoer City in China’s Inner Mongolia and were once covered with grassland.
The city wall was about 2 km long and 1 km wide and is made up of compressed earth. The east wall is 2 meters high and remarkably preserved, while, the south wall has already collapsed and is now a road base 80 centimetres high above ground level. Pottery shards with exquisite patterns are scattered nearby.
The tomb of China's second emperor can be found in Xi'an, China, just south of the Qujiang Pool in the city's Tang Paradise Park.
The second emperor Qin Er Shi took the throne immediately after the death of China's famed first emperor Qin Shi Huang in 210 BC. Qin Er Shi, whose name literally means second emperor, ruled for only a short period that lasted three years. He is seen as more of a puppet leader, who was put on the throne by conniving government officials. At the end of his reign, and with the dynasty collapsing due to revolts, Qin Er Shi committed suicide. He ruled from 210 to 207 B.C. in what was a short reign during the twilight of the Qin dynasty. Qin Er Shi is buried at the site, and his tomb is surrounded by a traditional Chinese courtyard.
The site of the tomb is far more secluded than many of the city's other tourist attractions, with the ruins of an old home sitting out in front. Visitors can find the actual gravestone, as well as a few small exhibits. According to local caretakers the tomb is scheduled for a renovation in the near future.
