"Eighth Wonder of the World" - Terra-Cotta Soldiers
There are many sites of antiquity to view in China, such as, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Summer Palace, and the Three Gorges. If you could visit only one place during your stay in China, I would tell you to go to the city of Xi'an and marvel at the eighth wonder of the world buried about one mile from the first Emperor of China's tomb.
At the risk of sounding like a travel critic some of the most memorable sites I've had the pleasure to visit have been Michelangelo's fresco in the Sistine Chapel, the iconic Eiffel Tower, the Leaning Tower of Pisa before fear of toppling the entire structure barred visitors from entering, the eeriness of Anne Frank's attic, the skeletal Atomic Dome of Hiroshima, Japan, the majesty of Buckingham Palace, and the sheer architectural beauty of the Sydney Opera House. None, though, maybe with the exception of the Atomic Dome, evoked the sense of awe I felt when I entered the excavation site of the Terra-Cotta Soldiers or as the Chinese would say Bing (Soldier), Ma (Horse), Yong (wooden or earthen figure buried with the dead).
It reminded me of an old movie I saw as a child about an elaborately booby-trapped tomb of the Pharaohs that was being invaded by grave robbers. The entire pit was covered with a hangar like structure that protected the artifacts from the elements. Photographs were forbidden and unless you were a head of state, world dignitary, or very famous you could not walk among the life-sized replicas of warriors and horses. Even now, I can smell the damp earth and feel the coolness of the setting. The soldiers and horses positioned abreast, dress right dressed, standing apparently where they were found. Some headless, some handless, and most were lacking the vivid colors they once had due to environmental decay, exposure, and post interment military raids. Amazingly, the grave site was unknown for 2000 years until a farmer literally drilled into it while searching for water in 1974. There have since been two more pits excavated where sacrificial animals can be found. The main tomb remains sealed due to issues of mercury poisoning and possible booby-traps. It is also worth noting that this period of the Qin Dynasty (third century BCE) is whence present day "China" derives its name.
If you can't make it to Xi'an, you can find larger than life replicas of Terra-Cotta Soldiers at your local P.F. Chang's China Bistro.
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