There is a saying that you have not been to China if you have not visited the Terracotta Warriors (bing ma yong). Located to the west of Xi'an,bing ma yongis a collection of the tomb treasures of Qin Shihuang, the First Emperor of China. They were built by hundreds of thousands of men more than 2,000 years ago.Bing ma yongwere a copy of Qin Shihuang's (power) army which conquered and unified the Six States. Each warrior was as big and vivid as a real soldier. Life-sized war chariots and horses were also made. They were buried in the tomb of China's first Emperor, died more than 2,000 years ago. This army of clay statues is believed (be) as effective and strong as any real-life army and can protect the Emperor and his tomb.
, no one in modern times knew about the tomb or the terracotta statues until 1974, when some farmers discovered the tomb while (dig) a well nearby. After years of excavation, three underground vaults(坑) (official) opened to tourists in 1979,1989 and 1994 respectively, showing thousands of terracotta warriors, horses and chariots. Since then, the Terracotta Warrior Museum in Xi'an (become) a tourist destination for millions of people from home and abroad. The terracotta warriors have also been put show overseas, showing the fantastic Chinese civilization to the world and promote cultural exchanges.
If you feel an urge to visit thebing ma yong, the Terracotta Army Museum in Xi'an is a must-see, which is considered one of the greatest archaeological(考古的) (site) in the world and one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century. It will remind you of the glorious times ofQin Dynasty.
