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Q: Are the Terracotta Warriors really worth seeing?
I'm in the process of planning an early spring vacation. I've always heard of the terracotta warriors as one of China's "big things" to see, but I've also read a ton of reviews by people who said they were not very impressed by it. Do you guys think that it's worth a trip all the way out to Xi'an from Beijing just to see this, or would I be better off going somewhere else like Guilin or Huangshan yellow mountain instead? Thanks
11 years 7 weeks ago in Transport & Travel - China
To me it was a big let down going to the warriors. To many people in one place ruined the experience but alot of other things to do in XIan other than the warriors.
I would recommend (well pending on how long you have) maybe going to Xi'an for a few days to hang out and see some other sites and eat some good food then maybe stop at Hua Shan (flower mountain) for a day or 2 hike. To answer your question, I have been to the warriors 2x, if you like history its cool, if your not a big fan and not looking to spend a hefty price on entrance tickets then yeah I would say its also skippable. The city wall of Xi'an is also cool, the bell tower, Muslim street. Just my 2 jiao.
They didn't really do it for me but worth a look as the Emperor Qinshihuang's chief sculpture clearly had a sense of humour: if you search carefully you'll find that one of them is dressed in full regalia but twirling a set of butt-plugs and wearing a 12 inch strap-on dildo. Most people miss it.
I saw the Expo of the warriors in Sydney and thought it was pretty good so I will be going to Xi'an when the opportunity arises to see where it all started. Must be worth a look surely.
I arranged a private tour for me to do Beijing and Xian, with guide and car/driver. I thought seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors wasn't much different than seeing pictures of them. And they kept stopping me from climbing into the pit for a closer look. Mostly it poured on my trip and I couldn't travel the wall in Xian. I spend more time watching my guides long legs.
The tour took me to an approved Terra Cotta Warrior reproduction place, I'm actually sorry that I didn't buy a full size one, was less than $900, shipped and insured to home. If the thing got broken I have crazy glue and it would look more original. I saw other places selling them cheaper but didn't stop.
Scandinavian:
you didn't get a quote for a terracotta replica of your guide ?
TedDBayer:
That was when I first came to China and my first days. I should have tried more with my guide. Hell I stayed in 5 star hotels alone, not even a phone call then..
TedDBayer:
My first stop in China was Guilin and I liked the place so much that after going to Xian and Beijing I went back to Guilin. I saw Yanshou and had a Li river tour. I found Guilin to be pretty and not such a big city with tall buildings. Maybe if I had spent more time in Shenzhen, Gz, HK or other places long enough to know my way around I would have liked them, but for me I really like Guilin.
It's a stop on your must-to-know, must-to-see knowledge trip here in China. If you go to Paris you don't ask anybody if it worths to go to Louvre or Versaille, do you? If you travel to Bonn, Germany, you can't leave the city without visiting Beethoven's House where he was born, can you? Likewise is the Terracotta Warriors in China, that you're asking about, isn't it? You should not ask others what to do. It's out of curiosity or it's not at all. It's out of your will to know on yourself or better save your money and stay home.
Thanks for the responses everyone. Is Hua shan comparable to Huang shan? Also, how far away from Xi'an is it?
Hua Shan is about 120 KM East of Xi'an can take a train stop there. The mountain is cool and a bit extreme, has 4 peaks, big to watch the sunrise. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hua
I would say comparable to Huangshan plus cheaper and probably less crowded. From what I keep hearing prices for a hotel on Huangshan are ridiculous. Hua Shan can be done in a day and has cable cars to take you down (or up if youre lazy). It was also once voted the worlds most dangerous mountain, has some real cool sections, the dragons back, vertical stairs built into the mountain face with chains for u to hold and climb up, and another part (i didnt do) walk around the face of the mountain on a wooden plank. I would deff. suggest it as a pretty cool place to check out in China.
xxxcdbxxx:
Yeah its cool, a bit adventurous. If you plan to do all 4 peaks you might need to rush or sleep atop the mountain for a night. We only did 2 peaks I believe and we got to the top at like 5 am to watch the sunrise. Left just after lunch time. Bring snacks.
I'm tempted to buy this book before I visit Xi an, get a totally new perspective on the warriors and the story of Ch'in Shi Huangdi
http://www.mauricecotterell.com/05TerracottaWarriors.htm
Call me crazy, but it looks interesting.
Xi'an it's an amazing city,you shouldn't skip it. THe Terracota were really impressive for me but I have to admit that a lot of people I know really hated the visit. For me it's totally worth it, but I don't know if it's for everyone...
Definitely go to Xi' An. The city has many things to do from riding a bike on top of the wall that surrounds the city, visiting the tombs of the 8 immortals just outside the wall, and visiting the Muslim quarters to eat great food. The terra cotta warriors protect the most impressive tomb in the world. It exceeds the wonder of the great pyramids in Egypt. The scale of the tomb is larger than any other. Remember that Emperor Qin was only 12 years old when construction began and under his rule what we now know as China was united. If you think visiting the Great Wall is something worth seeing, or coming to China for that matter, then you can't miss an opportunity to see the terra cotta warriors.
