The Terra-cotta Army

The terra cotta army were found near the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. It was believed that the terra cotta army, consisting of an estimated number of over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, could protect the emperor in his afterlife. The army are life-size and vary in height, uniforms and hairstyles according to rank. They were made of clay and most of them held real weapons.

What does it mean to us? 

The terra cotta army was an magnificent funeral art, it also give us a rough idea of how armies and militaries in China were like in the past. For instance, we learnt about the soldiers' weapon types and mode of transport.

The terra cotta army depicts the China's great history and gave historian the chance to understand the beliefs of the Chinese ancestors. It shows the Chinese's strong belief in afterlife as well as Qin Shi Huang's great authority since an estimated number of 700.000 people was believed to be involved in the making of these terra cotta soldiers. Emperor Qin was heavily protected even in his afterlife.