terracotta soldiers

yesterday was perhaps the craziest, but the most rewarding day in china. this is the first time in my life that i have been just a tourist...on an organized tour...following guides with little flags and wearing a name badge. at first, i really didn't like it, but these guides can arrange things that you could never do yourself in the time that you have. yesterday we were in 3 cities. we started in beijing, flew to xi'an, and then ended up in shanghi. i couldn't believe we pulled it off.

we spent the day at what will most definitely be the 8th wonder of the world. during the ming dynasty, the emperor decided to create a massive tomb for himself. this was pretty normal behavior for an emperor...but this man went the extra mile, literally. from what the tourguide told us, the chinese believed that when they died, the took with them everything they were buried with to the afterlife. so, in order to protect himself emperor quing-something (can't remember his name at the moment) decided to be progressive and people his tomb with terracotta warriors. this is progressive because most emperors just buried themselves with live soldiers...and they were alive when they were entombed, traditionally. he, like us, thought that slightly cruel, so decided instead to devote 36 years to building and army of terracotta warriors to take with him. their existence or location wasn't known until a farmer happened upon them in 1974 when digging a well.

since 1974, the chinese people have uncovered thousands of life size terracotta warriors, each handmade by individual artisans. it's amazing because each soldier is different, not just in dress and rank, but in facial expression. it is quite a thing to see, probably the most impressive single thing i have ever seen in my life. the figures are so life-like, and there are so many of them. there are arches and cavalrymen, officers and charioteers. there are animals, horses, chickens, dogs. it's amazing. there really aren't enough adjectives to describe what this monument is like, and the amount of work that not only went in to creating them, but the work that has been done to restore them.

the tomb was actually discovered by farmers after the ming dynasty, but they didn't care much for them, because they were only made of clay, not gold or bronze or anything of value. so the farmers burned the support beams of the tomb and destroyed all of the warriors. since their discovery, chinese archeologists have, been excavating and putting these guys broken fragments back together by hand and then moving them back to their original spot. it's absolutely amazing. there are more than 8000 soldiers and thousands of horses and other animals and carriages. what a job they have. they said it will take 200 years to completely finish the excavation and restoration.

i'm not going to lie, i saw the whole thing as if it were a big puzzle. i wanted to jump over the fence and join in the digging and the putting back together. i love that kind of thing. i could sit there happily putting soldiers back together for eternity. i guess i will have to settle for putting real people back together.

anyway, there are so many other stories that we were told about the tomb and the restoration and the emperor, but i will hold off cause i'm tired. i was just enamored with the place, i wanted to stay there forever. if you have the chance to go to xi'an to see the terracotta warrior museum, please go, it's really worth it. it is one of the most beautiful creations i will ever see.

the rest of the trip has been great. i have been pampered, staying in 5 star hotels, everything taken care of. i've been eating great food and been shuttled around in massive air conditioned tour buses. very very spoiled am i. i still say that i would rather stay in hostels and eat on the street bumbling around with a lonely planet and a good friend, but i'll live in my parents' world for a little while and be gratful for the experience. i will be so grateful, because who gets to do this? hardly anyone.