The Terra Cotta Warriors

The Terra Cotta Warriors...

...were incredible. There are 3 buildings of warriors.

If you don't know the story, the quick recap is: An Emperor had them built to protect him in the after life. He was going to bury his army alive, but changed his mind and had these exact replicas of each soldier made instead. Which took 40 years.

 

The next General after his death, didn't like the Emperor and set them on fire. China thought the relic was lost forever until 1974 when a farmer was digging for a well and found a head that he thought was a real persons head (since they were originally painted). He didn't tell anyone for some time until a friend came to visit him and the friend realized it was a statue and he needed to report it.

They call the farmer "unlucky" because then he, of course, had to move. He is still alive, about 70yrs old and works signing books at the museum now from time to time, but I didn't see him and you can't take photos of him anyway. So all these relics are underground.

The gov has built structured walls around and over them to protect them and turn them into a museum of course. There are apprx 8000 soldiers in the 3 pits of which 1000 have been excavated or restored. The archeologist were at work today when I was there, which was neat. All 3 pits were actually amazing, even the unexcavated ones because you can see where the wells were dug, you could see some ruins and try to piece it back together mentally.
 

Joy did not at all like the experience. The soldiers scared her and then soon (within 10 minutes) bored her. She kept asking if we could leave and go get french fries and watch tv. The guide insist this is good that Joy is being so vocal with me, that most older adoptive children won't speak their minds at first but that Joy is happy and feels comfortable with me. I don't know how much she hates walking/tour (I think she does dislike it but..)

people stare everywhere we go and she hates the stares more than anything. She doesn't like strangers talking to her or looking at her. When we are alone, she lights up with dancing, signing, jumping around, talking nonstop. Anyway, we did have a Chinese lunch today, which was great. It was actually sweet/sour pork, mildly-spicy veggies and egg drop soup. Loved it. But as promised I took Joy to get her french fries when we got back. She is now happily watching her favorite tv show while we relax in the room.  

I'm a little tired of the business of the city. Wow, it's so much like NYC, which I love but I've never been in the city THIS long before. I don't even want to fight the crowds to get a pizza tonight. But I gotta do something, Joy does not like the hotel dinner. That's it for today. I also posted pics of the mountains we passed on the way out of town, to the Warriors and the traditional Village housing (this type of housing is what Joy would have lived in.)