Terracotta Warriors Centerpiece Highlighted Charms of China Pavilion

06/02/2010 20:30:15

China Pavilion unveiled the renowned Bronze Chariot and Horse sculpture, one centerpiece of China's top treasure Terracotta Warriors, at the Shanghai Expo yesterday in order to highlight charms of the pavilion and the attraction to exhibition visitors.

The Bronze Chariot and Horses, centerpiece of Terracotta Warriors

Starting tomorrow, visitors to the China Pavilion will be able to see the Bronze Chariot and Horses, which has a history of two thousand years. The precious Chinese bronze ware will be displayed on the top exhibition floor until the Expo ends, together with other national treasures inside the Oriental Crown Pavilion (another name for China Pavilion). The sculpture will be carefully monitored around the clock by two specialists from Terracotta Warriors Museum, the World Heritage site, where it has been displayed since its unearthing. Another two armed police officers will be also on guard for the national treasure in the exhibition room.

Visitors should notice that flash photography will not harm the sculpture, but may bother other visitors. So they are recommended to take pictures without using a flash.

The Bronze Chariot and Horses at China Pavilion

The Bronze Chariot and Horses was unearthed in 1980s, along with the world famed Terracotta Warriors that could date back to the Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.). It was seriously rusted in more than 3,000 pieces and took dozens of archaeologists eight years to restore the sculpture. The priceless cultural relic was finally placed in Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xian, the capital of Shaaxi Province. More than 50 million visitors have seen them in the museum over the past 20 years. This is the first time the sculpture has been exhibited outside Shaanxi Province. 

The Bronze Chariot is believed to be a copy of the personal carriage fleet of the Chinese first Emperor, Emperor Qin Shihuang, who unified China for the first time in 221 B.C. It was also said to be the chariot that cleared the way for the emperor. This invaluable piece contains a two-wheeled carriage, led by four horses and steered by an armed warrior, more than 35 hundred parts. The sculpture was made in life-size, about the 1-meter-tall and 3-meter-long, weighing more than 1,000 kilograms.

For many years, the Bronze Chariot and Horses sculpture is consider to be the centerpiece of Terracotta Warriors Musuem and esteemed as a symbol of ancient Chinese cultures.

The Bronze Chariot and Horses exhibition room has become a heated region of the pavilion since the invaluable piece's arrival. And the Chariot surely becomes a must-see of China Pavilion for home and overseas visitors.

Take an Expo Tour to Shanghai, you will not only enjoy the grand global gathering, but also appreciate world's top cultural relics and performances on your own.