Terracotta Warriors and Hanyang Tombs Day Tour

When you are planning your Xian tour, your focus will be definitely on Terracotta Warriors Museum. But the other equally interesting and important subterranean archaeological museum may slip under your radar, namely, Hanyang Tombs (Hanyangling). The Tomb of Tomb of Emperor Jingdi Jindi (188BC - 141BC) is for the fourth emperor of Han Dynasty (206 B.C.– 220 A.D.) which follows Qin Dynasty ( 221–206 BC) when Terracotta Warriors were made. We put the two great museums on a day trip for you to feel and see.

Picked up from your downtown hotel in Xian, drive for about 30 km and get to Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Terracotta Warriors were supposed to safeguard Chinese first emperor –Qin Shihuang in his afterlife. He unified China in 221 BC for the first time in Chinese history and established Qin Dynasty (221–206 B.C.), thus starting China's over 2000 years'feudal society.

These vivid over 2000-year-old soldiers of Terracotta Army were discovered March 24, 1974 by a group of local farmers when they were digging a well. The museum is composed of three pits: Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3; the Exhibition Hall and the movie -360 degrees. Going through the main entrance you see Pit No.01, the largest and the first excavated. Hundreds and thousands of pottery soldiers and chariots are arrayed in the pit. Pit 1 is most impressive and the highlight of the museum.

Pit 2 is located northeast of Pit 1. The site of Pit 2 was discovered in 1976. Pit 2 is 20 meters long, home to over a thousand terracotta warriors and 90 chariots of wood. It was open to public in 1994. Also discovered in 1976, Pit 3 is located northwest of Pit 1. It is regarded by Archaeologists as the command center of the armed forces. It was unveiled to the public in 1989.

After visiting Terracotta Warriors Museum, you will be transferred to Hanyang Tombs. This is a wonderful cultural site, more interesting and engaging than the Terracotta Warriors. The well-structured site comprises the emperor's tomb, empress' tomb, the south and north accompanying burial pits, and human sacrifice graveyard.

With the emperor's tomb laid out in the center, the site tells the strict hierarchical social structure.

The Protection Hall of Burial Pits is popularly known as the underground museum or onsite subterranean museum. This is the place worth most of your visit time in Hanyang Tomb.

It is awesome to walk on the glass floors to view the terracotta smaller scale people, more engaging and interesting than Terracotta Warrior Museum,

Han Yang Ling Archaeological Exhibition Hall is a modern comprehensive museum. It has a unique style and advanced exhibition area. About 1700 exquisite artifacts unearthed in the past 30 years are on display in the two-storey building.

Back to your hotel at the end of the day trip.