The day after my mother died, I found myself in a very strange place – the Mausoleum of the First Emperor of China. How odd to be looking at the faces of thousands of warriors who would protect the Emperor on his journey to the afterlife on the very day when I would be contemplating my mother’s same journey.
It was odd to be out photographing at all, but the photographers I was travelling with convinced me that my mother wouldn’t want me to miss the greatest archeological discovery in modern times. And while seeing the terracotta warriors was never high on my bucket list, the concurrence of the two events created an unforgettable experience.
China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Di, accomplished many things including uniting warring kingdoms into one country, putting an end to feudalism, standardizing weights and measures, building a national road system, and building the Great Wall of China. Another accomplishment was to be his resting place, a city-sized mausoleum guarded by the Terracotta Warriors.
Discovered in 1974, farmers uncovered the figures while digging a well. Little did anyone know that the soldiers stood guard right under the farmer’s fields in Xi’an for more than 2,000 years.
Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the grand funerary complex is over 38 square miles (98 square kilometres). The three excavation pits hold as many as 8,000 life-sized, intricately carved, soldiers and horses who guard the tomb and protect the Emperor in the afterlife for eternity.
Astonishingly, the army is made up of unique individuals. Some soldiers have topknots, while others have caps. Some wear tunics and others wear armoured vests. They have goatees, moustaches, or neither. The face of each soldier is different. Some have suggested that they may be modelled after the Emperor’s real army.
There are also chariots, horses, archers and weapons.
Huang Di was obsessed with achieving immortality. In the mountains that were named after him, the Huangshan Mountains I visited earlier in the trip, he sought master alchemists to make immortality pills. He is thought to have died by drinking the “elixir of life” which would supposedly allow him to live forever, but turned out to be mercury.
The mausoleum has many more secrets yet to be discovered since the tomb itself has not been opened. There are fears that light and exposure to air will harm the artifacts so the archeologists are waiting for better techniques to be developed before opening the tomb. As well, there are legends that say it is booby trapped with crossbows rigged to shoot anyone who breaks in. Add to this, the “rivers of mercury” inside, and it becomes a very dangerous place.
The existence of the mercury has been proven by soil testing, but many other secrets remain since the hundreds of thousands of unpaid labourers who built it were killed before they could reveal its secrets. They, too, are in the mausoleum in mass graves that also contain the emperor’s concubines and even his sons, who were killed during a brutal struggle when one son tried to take the throne.
The story is just one in China’s long and most intriguing history. It’s not just a bunch of statues, its an archeological mystery shrouded in conspiracy, secrecy and the supernatural. I’m so glad I didn’t miss the experience. I only wish I got to share the photos with my Mom because she was looking forward to seeing them.
To make these images I used my Sony NEX6 and the 55-210mm lens. My group was the first to arrive at the museum when it opened so we were able to use our tripods most of the time. It was only when the crowds got too large that the tripods became too difficult to squeeze in.
I’ve never photographed an archeological dig before, so I did my best to capture both large groups of soldiers, smaller individuals in more intimate scenes, and some soldiers that were still in the midst of being revealed.
Wow, what an amazing place and what an intriguing history. Although I’ve seen photos of the soldiers and horses before, it’s fascinating to see your captures. Great job, Anne!
Thank you so much Suzy! I hardly ever photograph inside, but there was interesting light coming in through the windows when we first got there and I really liked the shadow play. It certainly was unique!
These are wonderful, Anne!
Many thanks Jackson! Your comments are always appreciated 🙂
Your pictures are wonderful and original. I struggle with how to compose and photograph iconic sites–ones visited by hundreds if not thousands in just a year’s time. For example, how do I find an original aspect to Mt. Rushmore or the Lincoln Memorial? Perhaps you would contemplate this conundrum and prepare one of your lessons for how to photograph the iconic setting. Thank you.
Enjoy your trip.
Hi Jan, that’s a great idea! Thanks 🙂 It is hard to photograph iconic locations. I usually try to find a new perspective where I can put something unique in the foreground.
Wow, absolutely stunning! Your photographs are wonderfully captured! Sony cameras don’t disappoint as always. Perhaps my favorite picture is the lone soldier on the verge of crumbling. For me, it represents the tests of time that the Terracotta Warriors have faced.
Hi Willie, thank you so much! I like that photo too because it is so different from all the others and it makes me think of how all the warriors were slowly uncovered. What a discovery! Thanks for your visit and comments.
Fantastic coverage and thoroughly enjoyed perusing to your post, it takes me to the place you’ve been vicariously and hoped for time to be on side someday to see and feel in person.
Thank goodness I didn’t delete this one among hundreds of other emails I received that I wouldn’t have the chance to open.
Best of all thanks for sharing.
Blessings to all your journey.
Many thanks Angelito 🙂 I hope you do get a chance to see it one day. This location wasn’t high on my list of sights to see, but now I’m really glad I went because it was one of those places that I’ll never forget.
I’m so sorry you lost your mother while in China. I was also in China when my mother passed away. We had already seen the usual tourist spots and had moved on to Zhangjiakou to meet my sons future in-laws when she passed. While it was hard, it was worth ever moment. But coming home to a funeral was the worst.
Hi Cathy, Sorry to hear you went through a similar thing. I found it difficult coming home because reality hits when you get home and I felt like it just happened whereas everyone else was a couple of weeks ahead of me. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to go through no matter the situation. Thanks for sharing your story.
I visited the terracotta army eight years ago. Took many photos, but they all got wiped when my hard drive died, I was gutted.
The mercury river is supposed to reflect the crystal on the roof to resemble the night sky. There are still many terracotta figures purposely not dug up because we do not have the technology yet to preserve the color. The figures are all painted, but as soon as the figures get exposed to air, the color fades.
Hi Leo, Sorry to hear about loosing your photos of the Terracotta Army. That would be heartbreaking. I bet you have a better backup practice now 🙂 I found it very interesting to learn how they have not opened the tomb yet because we don’t have the technology to prevent air from harming the contents. I wonder what mysteries will be solved when they can finally look inside. Thanks for your visit and comments.