Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/11/13
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]The next stop was Xi'an, the home of the Terracotta Army. The Army was buried to protect the founder of the first dynasty in China. Emperor Qin (of the Qin Dynasty), near his burial mound, from enemies he might encounter in his afterlife around 210 BC. The figures are 10-15% larger than life size, as befits a ghost's army, and the detail on their bodies is quite amazing. In due course, everybody forgot about it, until a farmer, digging a well under his lands in 1974, stumbled upon it. The walls had fallen on the army, grave robbers had stolen the weaponry, and flooding had ruined the figures as well, leading to a painstaking and gargantuan reconstruction task. There is enough still hidden here to keep archeologists busy for a century more, I think - there are supposed to be 60 pits around, full of the emperors help for the hereafter, and only 4-5 have been dug up, fully or partially. The Emperor's necropolis has not been opened as yet for fear of what oxidation would do to the things inside. The Terracotta Army is very well documented, so here are a few shots from the three pits open to the public, giving an idea of what is there: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-1854.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-1954.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-1884.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-1966.jpg.html The museum and grounds are wonderfully laid out and maintained for both maximum safety for the contents, as well as ease of viewing for the hordes who pass by every year: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-1992.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2023.jpg.html Xi'an, surprisingly has a big Muslim population, and is home to The Great Mosque and its lovely green grounds. Luckily, on the day we went, there was a funeral service going on someone important in the community, so there were quite a few people around.: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2580.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2062.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2596.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2050.jpg.html Surrounding the mosque was an enchanting covered market, selling, as most such markets do, utterly flimsy, cheap and useless stuff: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2617.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2622.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2635.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2565.jpg.html Everybody was zipping around the bazaar in electric vehicles, either bikes or tuk-tuks: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2657.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2077.jpg.html Finally, people shots to end the first day in Xian: http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2063.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2067.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2028.jpg.html http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/jayanand/China/China-20141017-2098.jpg.html Please see LARGE Comments and criticism, as ever, welcome. Cheers Jayanand