The Xian Terra-cotta Warriors exhibit was the second Discovery Center exhibit we have visited. (The first was an exhibit of Pompeii artifacts and ash casts of people who we killed in the pyroclastic flows.) This exhibit was built around nine of the 2,000-year old, life-sized figures from the tomb of the Qin Emperor who first united the warring states of China and who created many of the foundations for a civilization that thrived for almost two millennia. The exhibit began with an introductory film and a series of exhibits that explained the ancient history of China and the role of the Qin family in overcoming the competing kingdoms. The centerpiece of the exhibit consisted of nine of the life-sized tomb figures–horses, infantry and cavalry soldiers, officers and even an acrobat and a beautiful bronze swan. (Heck, even dead emperors need some entertainment.)

The final section of the exhibit provided explanations and hundreds of smaller tomb inured from emperors of the following Han Dynasty. Although we have seen the original excavation in Xian, this exhibit provided much context and provided much closer views of the objects. It, like the previous Pompeii exhibits, was very educational and very well done.