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Terra Cotta Army
About Qin Shi Huang
Qin Shi Huang became the king of the Qin Kingdom in 247 BC, at the age of thirteen. From 230 BC to 221 BC,
he ended the Warring States Period by uniting the six different kingdoms of China, Han, Zhao, Wei, Chu, Yan,
and Qi. He was the first person to unite China in Chinese history, and he also became the first emperor of
China by building the large Qin dynasty. The dynasty system that Qin Shi Huang created lasted for more than
two thousand years after his death.
Note about the Name
Qin Shi Huang’s original name was Ying Zheng. However, when he unified China, he considered his
achievement surpassing the legendary "San Huang (three emperors)" and "Wu Di (five sovereigns)". So he
created a new title for himself: Huang Di. "Shi (means the first)", so Qin Shi Huang Di means “the first emperor
of China.”
Reforms
Qin Shi Huang’s greatest reforms are standardization and unification.
He unified culture and standardized the currency and measurements, which contributed greatly in the
development of the Chinese economy at the time. Also, to protect the citizens from danger, he ordered the
construction of the Great Wall.
About the Terra Cotta Army
In 247 B.C., Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of a terra cotta army, with replicas of soldiers, horses,
chariots, acrobats, and real weapons, so that he could govern an empire even in his afterlife. More than
700,000 laborers worked for 36 years to create more than 8000 replicas. The construction of the Terra Cotta
Army ended a year after his death, in 209 B.C. Because he used more than one tenth of the entire Chinese
population in building the Army and the Great Wall, and this eventually led to the decline of the Qin Dynasty.
Discovery
The Terra Cotta Army was first discovered in 1974 by peasants of Lingtong County.
Appearances
The terra cotta warriors are life-sized and realistic. The figures are about 1.8 meters high, and their facial
expressions and hairstyle are very detailed. The horse hair and tails are also very detailed. The army is arranged
according to the soldiers’ ranks, just like a real army.
Different Types
There are many different types of Terra Cotta warriors. Examples include the standing warrior, crossbowman,
horse-leading rider, chariot driver, junior officer, and senior officer. The ranks are determined by the postures
and appearance.
These standing warriors here are the lowest rank in the terra cotta warriors, and this sitting man is a higherranking official. He is heavily armored and wears a brown cape and shin guards.
This is the history of Qin Shi Huang and the Terra Cotta Army.