The Necropolis of the First Emperor Qin
- Nida Aquino
- May 25, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 18, 2024
With a bunch of other foreigners, we joined an English-speaking guided coach tour. I knew group tour would always have pros and cons, but there was no better option at that time.
Pros: We didn’t have to worry about the transport, the stations and stops and the worst, asking for directions when we couldn’t find the way; we’d surely get to the destination as that was what we paid for; there’d be bits of information the tour guide would eagerly and interestingly convey.
Cons: We were at the farthest hotel so the driver picked us up the earliest and we got to wait for the others to board the coaster or at least find it first, as there were those who got misunderstood of which hotel they were staying at; extra activities, also known as stop-overs or toilet breaks which aim to market and sell products of their tie-up businesses; inclusive yet unpalatable meal.
All these points were completely unsurprising, but it was how we made the most of this trip that was important.
Midway, we stopped by a ceramic shop whose attendants gladly took us on a quick tour of their processes and stages of making the replica of the terracotta warriors. They showed other clay products as we moved ultimately to the showroom where various displays were “on sale”. I admit they were interesting to look at, but not to be bought.
After the "tour", we had the chance to look outside the area We were rather amused taking pictures with their human-sized replicas than buying the miniatures they claimed were cheaper than those sold elsewhere.
Unmoved by the marketing schemes, we then boarded the coaster and drove off.
We parked in front of what appeared to be a restaurant, but on a closer look at its wall ads was a hostel or hotel of some kind. There were few vegetable viands that were put on the table, soup and rice, but not appetizing to begin with. Out of being courteous, we dug in but finished our “lunch” before they even served the last dish.
From where we parked and had our first meal for the day, whatever “meal” meant, our tour guide led us to what she said was a 5-minute walk to the park entrance/ticketing counter. I had already anticipated it’s going to be longer than that, especially when it was scorching hot! After passing through the counter checks, we brisk-walked by the park which was another “5-minute” long towards the pits. The whole time I was wondering what did she mean by pits.
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor
When we hear the word mausoleum we think of a structure housing a tomb or tombs. This mausoleum is expansive. A complex. And even calling it that is an understatement.
The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin is the largest preserved one in China. It is proclaimed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It is a unique architectural ensemble said to be modelled from the urban plan of the Qin capital, Xianyang, with the Imperial Palace enclosed by the city walls. It is an evident testimony to an exceptionally technical funerary art and sculptures.
This mausoleum is also believed to be constructed over 38 years. Wow! But with a work of this scale, it's not a surprise really.
The Terracotta Army
We started off with Pit 1, where the general population of the Terracotta Army were discovered. There were countless warriors and horsemen, in a military formation to fight for and protect the emperor, densely placed in this area. Reading materials estimated more than 6000 statues were buried here, the pit, however, has not yet been excavated entirely. As we circled the site, there were sculptures undergoing careful restoration and upon fixing the broken pieces would join the army assembled by the wooden pillars, resembling the palace gates, I deduced, which form part of a much larger necropolis.
Pit 2 was where the cavalry and war chariots were found. The figures were thought to be representing military guards and noticeably distanced from one another. The warriors’ uniforms were moulded according to rank and were painted in bright colors, inferred from remnants, but worn out in thousands of years of being buried.
Pit 3 was the command post with the high ranking officers and chariots, the emperor’s was said to be made of bronze. It’s more of the “museum” type where the only thing separating a spectator from the warrior was the glass enclosing it. The area was well-ventilated and conducive to know more about this world heritage, however disturbance from the frenzy crowd was inevitable.
In a nutshell, the Terracotta Army served as a garrison to the mausoleum. The rest of them though has yet to be unearthed.
Gigantic Tomb Mound
The tomb housing the coffin and other burial artefacts is the core of the architectural complex of the mausoleum.
In about 1.5 km from the pits, at the foot of Mount Li and pyramidal in shape, is what believed to be the grave where Emperor Qin rested, along with his 4 concubines, probably his favorites (or the opposite) among his many, who were commanded to be buried alive. The tomb mound was perceived to be surrounded by mercury traps that up to now no one has dared to explore and excavate, and one apparent reason was the lack of equipment to do so.
Qin Shi Huang was born a prince of the state of Qin, became the king at the age of 13 but rather than maintaining the title, he invented the word emperor for himself, thus elevating his title as the First Emperor of China at the age of 38 and founded the Qin dynasty thereon. During his reign, he enacted major economic and political reforms aimed to standardize the diversified practices of earlier Chinese states. One of what he was known for was the unification of the state walls into the Great Wall of China; another was the funerary art, buried with him, within his city-sized mausoleum.
He might have been regarded as the greatest emperor but we couldn’t fathom the insanity of constructing a necropolis as a microcosm of his imperial compound and building an enormous sculpture of the entire army to guard him against evil spirits in the afterlife. We couldn’t shrug off the grisly self-interestedness of burying the workers, alive, with their art work just to keep the gate to the necropolis concealed and this secret hidden.
Banpo Village
We went back to our ride and headed next to the Banpo Village. It’s not a misnomer as it is a museum which houses the remains and artefacts unearthed at this Neolithic Site of the dwellings dating 6000 years back. The excavations provided traces of matrilineal culture, thus believed to be the Banpo Matriarchal Clan Community. No wonder there was a woman statue as we entered the museum but I never suspected it had something to do with the chieftaincy of the society that settled at this very site 6 millennia ago.
To appreciate the place, there's an illustration of what the community looks like then.
End of the Tour
It was a tiring but interesting day, and as expected, the guide recommended the Tang Show and Dim Sum for dinner, which we all said no to. That said, we ended the tour and went our separate ways.
Our day did not end there though. We requested to be dropped off at the South Gate for a relaxing walk at the Xi'an City Wall. This amble was recounted in our travelogue – Pavement to the Very Distant Past.
