I saw the Terra Cotta Warriors!!!

[Malthus]

I also remember being very impressed with the sheer hugeness of the city walls of Xi’an.

[Freddy_the_Pig]

I have two terra cotta warriors on my mantle–they’re just about my favorite travel souvenirs! (Well, except for my didgeridoo.)

@jovan

One of the things I found interesting, visiting in person, is that only a fraction of the largest pit has been excavated and only part of what’s been excavated has been restored. Most warriors lie broken in pieces. And yet, just the part that’s standing is awe-inspiring.

That was the one thing that I thought was . . . maybe “disappointing” is too strong a word, but let’s say “not what I expected”. The pits are so absolutely enormous that the restored army, filling up only a small part, inevitably looks small.

In some ways a museum exhibit, where you can get up close and personal, might be better than the real thing. Or at least, a good complement.

@Malthus

I also remember being very impressed with the sheer hugeness of the city walls of Xi’an.

Oh my God yes! It makes you realize that the Great Wall was far from the only great wall in China.

[papergirl]

@Son_of_a_Rich

Sounds like it’s a really cool exhibit, but what was it about them that elicited such a visceral reaction?

Now that I’m slightly more coherent, I’ve been puzzling about this all day. I was actually surprised at how strongly I reacted, although it’s not unusual for me to have a good cry when I see the kids perform, etc.
Here’s my best guess(es) so far.
Probably most importantly, I am in awe of the sheer enormity of the whole enterprise…the planning, manpower, just the NUMBER of these warriors that you can see in the photos of the trenches. I always think about how amazing it must be to discover something like that, or to be involved in the effort to recover it. Added to that, they are HUGE and imposing and so beautifully detailed.
I’ve been casually following the story since the beginning. It never occurred to me that I might actually see the terra cotta warriors. I kind of have a reverse bucket list; I tend to look at an experience and say, wow! what a great thing to have experienced! But if I DID have a bucket list, the warriors would have been on it. I very much felt the power of this event that I would never witness again.
Admittedly, the dramatic entrance set me off. Very nicely done.
And last but also important: It took about $100 for me and the kids to make the trip, pay fees, have a quick cheap meal, etc. Things are so tight for us. Being able to give my kids this experience took some serious planning on my part and patience on theirs, and it just felt so enormous to me to do this with them.

I’m still a little breathless. And I’m glad I’m not the only one who has these crazy-strong reactions!

[liirogue]

Do you know if they are going anywhere else in the US after Indianapolis?

[Digital_is_the_new_Analog]

I just love the pure joy in parts of this thread…makes me smile, and wish I could see the exhibit myself.

[papergirl]

@liirogue

Do you know if they are going anywhere else in the US after Indianapolis?

According to this: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/chinas-terra-cotta-warriors-visit-childrens-museum-of-indianapolis/2014/05/13/e962bac4-cfe8-11e3-a6b1-45c4dffb85a6_story.html
they will be leaving the US to go back to China in November.

[liirogue]

Rats. Now to figure out how I can get to Indianapolis before November 2nd…

[Balthisar]

@dasmoocher

I visited twenty years later and they did allow pictures by then. My anecdote is about the book I got signed. The farmer that went down the well and discovered them had a job signing the coffee table books sold in the gift shop. The books are available in multiple languages and there’s photos of him with various dignitaries and celebrities who have visited on the wall. Before we left, I wanted to get him to sign the book I bought. He was on a tea and cigarette break and I waited for him to return and finally got my book signed.

I was expecting a Chinese character or two for his name. When I looked, there was a single squiggle, sort of S-shaped. Our tour guide looked at it and said “He stopped school very young and his handwriting is not so good.”

He’s still working there, and backed by the pictures of him with dignitaries, as of 2012. I wonder, though, if we should compare photos? If your farmer died, I don’t think it’s impossible to photoshop the current farmer into those pictures!

Oh, and it costs 10 or 20 RMB.