The famed Chinese Terracotta Warriors will make their debut in Thailand on September 15, according to Thai Culture Minister Itthiphol Kunplome. It offers a rare opportunity for the Thai people to have a close encounter with ancient Chinese cultural heritage dating back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).
Featuring 86 sets of the ancient relics, the exhibition will run through December 15.
The Terracotta Warriors and horses unearthed in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, are considered one of the most significant archaeological findings of the 20th century in China. Discovered in 1974, and listed by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1987, the site is a must-see for any visitor to China.
The Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. /VCG Photo
Buried 40 kilometers from downtown Xi'an, these vivid, life-sized figures were all molded from clay as funerary objects for Qin Shihuang, China's first emperor. No two figures in the army are alike. Each of the celebrated statues has a different facial expression and hairstyle, and craftsmen are believed to have modeled them after real men. For more than 2,000 years, the warriors have guarded the tomb of Qin Shihuang.
So far, the life-sized figures have been showcased in more than 40 countries.
Read more: China's Terracotta Warriors on display in Australian museum
(Cover: The Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province. /VCG Photo)