On the last day of our trip, we visited another great monument of ancient Chinese civilization - the famous terracotta warrior site. Earlier that day, we arrived at Xian from Yulin, taking a 45 minute flight. After keeping our luggage at the hotel, we all hurried to the bus with the excitement of little kids on an exciting field trip.
It took two hours of bus ride to reach the site. After reaching the site, we found hundreds of tourists from home and abroad roaming around the site. It was like a festival, celebrating the Chinese heritage.
Due to time constraints, we only managed to see The First Emperor's Terra-Cotta Army exhibition area. It is made up of three pits containing the Terra-Cotta Army and an exhibition hall that features the bronze chariots and horses.
As we entered the first pit, we were awed by the enormity of the site. This is the largest pit and also the most-photographed one. Instead of listening to the tour guide, we all started photographing the enigmatic warriors. There is a large viewing platform, offering a full view of the pit with nearly 1,600 life-sized pottery figures and chariots.
Besides the pits, there were two sets of large painted bronze chariots and horses displayed at the exhibition hall, which were intended for the First Emperor's soul to go on his inspection of the country in the afterlife. In a corner of the site, there were archaeologists who were working on their findings.
Chariots and smaller objects of the unearthed pits are on display at the Chariot Exhibition Hall. Along with them, there's an elaborate introduction of the details and functions of the tomb complex. After visiting the site, we bought some souvenirs; magnets with various motifs of the terracotta warriors imprinted on them. It was a great way to end the trip.
Five days in Xi'an and Yulin rewarded me with everlasting memories of China's timeless charm. There's still much more to discover, such as the Mountain Huashan, Famen Temple, Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River, Cave Dwellings and so on. I was already planning my next trip here during my departure flight to Bangladesh!
