Xi'an - Mausoleum of Jing Di

In 1990, when constructing the road from Xi'an to the new airport, the builders stumbled upon the tomb of Jing Di (reigned 157-141 BC), the fifth ruler of the Han dynasty. It lies on a burial site of 9.6ha/24acres where more than 800 more graves were traced. Some 70,000 workers were forced to labor for 37 years to build the mausoleum.

Investigations indicate that the mausoleum complex contains 24 graves in all. Eight of these have been unearthed and they contain 700 naked terracotta figures. These warrior figures, each about 60cm/2ft tall, have different facial expressions. They originally had moveable wooden arms which have rotted away and were dressed in silk uniforms. They are equipped with bronze weapons, and large stores of