China- Day 5

After a night on the train- it was a welcome sight to see someone waiting for us as be deboarded the train. We had time to get breakfast and some of us were lucky enough to have a quick shower before we were on our way. This day was one of Kent's favorite sites. We went to the Museum of the Qin Terra Cotta Warriors.
Before going to see the actual pits where the warriors were buried, we stopped to see where the current souvenirs and statues were created. In this picture you can see the woman using the molds to create rows and rows of terra cotta statues.

There was a station where the kids got to use some clay and create their very own little statue to take home with them. Speaking of statues to take home.. Alison?... Look at Jon in the background studying the big ones. Jon (Kent's brother-in-law that lives in China) ended up buying a life-size statue for his home. I'm still anxiously waiting to hear what they name him!

Can you find me?
I didn't know much about these warriors before the trip- except for that I had seen them at PF Chang restaraunts. Here is a quick lesson- "Upon ascending the throne at the age of 13 (in 246 BC), Qin Shi Huang, later the first Emperor of all China, had begun to work for his mausoleum. It took 11 years to finish. It is speculated that many buried treasures and sacrificial objects had accompanied the emperor in his after life." Looking at these warriors and knowing they were created over 2,000 years ago- it is truly amazing to see the detail and precision in each of these statues.



These in the boxes, were ones they found in almost perfect condition. Pay attention to the detail on these pieces. Unfortunately, 72 hours after being exposed to light and air, the paint wears off. In some pictures taken by archeologists, as they were first discovered, shows brilliant colors they used to paint each warrior.

This is one of China's national treasures- they Bronze Carriage. Here's a blurb I found to add: "The chariots were mainly made of bronze. However, there are 1720 pieces of golden and silver ornamentation, weighting 7kg, on the chariots. The chariots are so well-made and so vivid in detail that they are recognized as the best preserved, the highest quality and also the earliest known bronze relics in China. They are the biggest items of bronze ware ever found in the world. "

Alison and I had a nice time chatting on the bench while the other women took a bathroom break. Remember what I told you about the bathrooms? I think I'll wait until we get back to the hotel!