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Feature: "Terracotta Army-Warriors of Xi'an" goes beyond itself: expert

Xinhua, May 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Visitors of the exhibition "Terracotta Army-Warriors of Xi'an" here can appreciate the legacy of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in today's China, archeologist and guide Cynthia Gonzalez told Xinhua.

The exhibition takes visitors to the third century BC, when China's first emperor of the Qin Dynasty Qin Shi Huang was ruling, through more than 150 objects that are replicas of those found in his mausoleum near Xi'an, Shaanxi Province.

"We are talking about the third century BC and much of his legacy remains until today," Gonzalez commented. "It is interesting to see how life was then, and how these aspects appear in today's China."

The tour starts with a video of 35 minutes that provides a historical context. The first section focuses on aspects related to the emperor and the mausoleum, the second section tells the discovery of the remains and a third part focuses on the fall of Emperor Qin and the rise of the Han Dinasty.

During Emperor Qin's reign "we are talking about a moment of union, the basis of today's China," Gonzalez noted. "With a common currency, a common language, a common history, an emperor in common, it is the first time China has these elements and that is why it is so important."

The exhibition shows more than 150 original-sized replicas of the Terracotta Army, with 70 from the findings of the mausoleum of the emperor. Eight of them are reconstructions of human figures, while there is also a duplicate of the pit with more than 90 soldiers accompanied by interactive elements.

Among the objects, there is a musical instrument, the favorite piece of Gonzalez. "In archeology, sounds are lost," she said, highlighting the importance of this ritual object. "This happens rarely in archeology, being able to reproduce the sound and enabling us to time travel."

Gonzalez stressed the importance of the exhibition, which "goes beyond the figures itself," aiming at "understanding the history and learning archeology," an exercise that she considers essential "to understand the dynamics of the figures."

The exhibition is in Barcelona from March 26 to June 2 after having been in the Spanish cities of Madrid, Bilbao and Seville as part of an international tour.

UNESCO declared the Warriors of Xi'an World Heritage Site in 1987 and in 2010 the archaeological team received the Prince of Asturias Award Laureate for Social Sciences. Endit