NOT EVEN THE SUMMIT BUT EVEREST RONG BUK BASE CAMP AND I FAILED!

The food offered at this Xi'an restaurant didn't give a prelude to the food we would eat for the rest of the journey. For the first meal, the food, although nice, was over-ordered. In Tibet, the food we ate later was so different.

The entrance looks welcoming. Staff was on hand to bring customers to their tables. We went to Xi'an of Shaanxi province principally to visit the Terracotta Warriors.

In Pit 1 of the museum, there are many columns of Terracotta Warriors like this one. In Mandarin, they are referred to as "Bing Ma Yong" (soldier and horse funerary statues). Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, envisioned an afterlife where these warriors will protect him. It is estimated that 8,000 such warriors were buried with him at his death, many still unearthed. Altogether there are three pits. Pit 2 is made of a more diverse array of warriors including archers, cavalry and chariots while Pit 3 may be equated to the command centre with fewer statues but with more elaborate details. 

 The Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Site Museum. The mausoleum itself, located about one and a half km away, is out of bounds to visitors. It is believed that many booby traps are incorporated into the burial site to keep out unwanted people like grave diggers.

The sign on the wall indicates where the first warrior was stumbled upon by a group of seven farmers digging a well in March 1974. When it was ascertained to be a terracotta warrior, archeological digs followed and one of the biggest Chinese archeological finds of the 20th Century came to light.

This section of Pit One is like a hospital where broken warriors are treated. When they are whole again, they will be "re-posted" to their stations. There have been two incidents of unauthorised people joining the warriors in the pits. On 16 Sep 2006, Pablo Wendel, a German student of Performing Arts in Hangzhou, entered a pit disguised as a terracotta warrior in a costume made from straw.  He was discovered but no punitive action was taken as he did not spoil anything. His passion for the warriors was accepted as part reason for not exonerating him. Sometime in June 05, it was reported that a Chinese citizen named Sun jumped into a pit, tugged and pulled at statues causing damage. It is believed he suffered from mental illness and is undergoing psychological assessment.  

A soldier on display. The warriors were painted at the time of burial. The colours have faded due to burial, exposure to air and humidity among other reasons.

This is the statue of an officer. Notice the differences in his "uniform". 

The sculptor made braids of the soldier's hair. An effort for small details. 

This may be an archer. Notice the positions of his hands.

A horse on display.

A gate leading to the old city of Xi'an.

As may be found in other ancient Chinese cities, this area serves as the killing zone for an enemy deceived into believing the gate leads to the city proper. Arrows will first be fired followed by the wielding of the sword.