Tag: Xi’an

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Revisiting the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an

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Terra Cotta warriorsA few years ago I visited the famed terra cotta warriors in their home –  Xi’an, China. Located a little more than half way between Beijing and Chengdu, Xi’an sits among the mountains of central China.

I wrote about the trip a while back and decided it was a good time to revisit it as I make a much shorter but more unexpected domestic excursion for family obligations.

In Part I of that earlier two-part post I delved into the history of the warriors, their reconstruction, and the unbelievable sense of awe you experience upon entering the first pit.

In Part II I dug into the restoration process itself.

Both parts have several photos to illustrate the wonder of the warriors. Click the links above to read the full stories in Parts I and II.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!

 

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Happy Halloween, Remembering Vietnam, Chinese Warriors, Climate Denial, and Learning from Peasants

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It has been a very busy week, which culminates in a Friday night ghouling spectacular. Starting here on Science Traveler with the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an, China.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

Haven’t experienced the terra cotta warriors yet? Now is your chance. Part I introduces you to Xi’an in central China and the thousands of clay warriors, officers, infantry, archers, and even horses that make up one of the most amazing funerary art in the world. Part II delves deeper into the reconstruction of these life-size pieces, along with some surprises about the vibrant colors originally displayed.

VietnamMemorialwall

Meanwhile, Hot White Snow brought out memories of Arthur Hardy, a hometown boy I never met but miss deeply. Hardy was shot down in Laos during the Vietnam War, an event that is still remembered to this day by everyone in our small town. I have a rubbing from the Vietnam Veterans War Memorial (aka, “The Wall”) here in DC. A second rubbing was given by my Mom to his Mom in a very emotional meeting.

5 stages of denial

The Dake Page continues its series exposing climate denialism. Recent  posts include an examination of why climate deniers diss the IPCC, one of many scientific bodies who compile and summarize climate science, and why deniers rely on abusive language to attack scientists and anyone else who acknowledges the science.

learn-from-peasants

The Cultural Revolution sounds like a good thing, right? Not so much, Ru says, as she continues her series on a blog she aptly named Ru… on which she writes about her family history in China. Her latest post looks at how Mao Zedong forced people from cities into the countryside to “learn from the peasants.” This began a decade in which education was considered “bourgeois” and hard labor was the path to the future. Not surprisingly, it didn’t work out as planned.

The Birds

Happy Halloween! By some unnatural glitch in the time-space continuum we’ve somehow made it to the end of October, seemingly skipping over many of the months that usually occur between spring and autumn. Enjoy the foliage while you can as the ghouls and goblins roam the streets in sugar-induced frenzies.

Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity Nikola Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity

 

 

 

 

This past week my 82- and 87-year-old parents flew down for a visit, which among other things included going up into the Washington Monument for the first time (more on that soon). Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity has sold over 25,000 copies so far, with a third printing due out in February. Meanwhile, my e-book continues to sell on Amazon – look for some exciting news about Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time to be annnounced shortly.

Up next is a meeting with a famous author, a Lincoln Group symposium you don’t want to miss on the nation-saving “Election of 1864” (see Lincoln Group for more details), more travel, more Tesla, more excitement…

More Science Traveler coming soon!

David J. Kent is an avid traveler and is currently working on a book about his experiences traveling in Argentina. He is also the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and the e-book Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.

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Experiencing the Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi’an – Part I

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If you’ve never been to Xi’an, you’re missing one of the world’s greatest wonders. This ancient megacity is one of the four great dynastic capitals of China. The two Chinese characters making up the name of Xi’an mean “Western Peace;” ironic given that it is the location of the Terra Cotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

Discovered only in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, the terra cotta warriors of Xi’an have become one of the most awe-inspiring funerary art forms in the world today. Built around 210 BCE, the pottery figures were buried with the emperor to protect him in the afterlife. The scale of the burial site is impressive. As you first enter the enclosure covering Pit 1 – the largest of four that have been uncovered – it’s like walking into a football stadium.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

To date approximately 2,000 warriors and horses, along with about 20 wooden chariots, have been unearthed in a space of about 4,000 square meters. This is only a small proportion of the total area still to be uncovered, which is anticipated to include more than 6,000 warriors and horses and 50 chariots in an area of over 14,000 square meters. Even more impressive is that the figures aren’t simply copies of each other; there are warriors representing middle and high ranking officers, cavalrymen (with their steeds), archers, infantrymen, and war chariots, all ready to march into battle to protect their emperor. Two other pits contain what appear to be a military guard and a command center. A fourth pit is empty and presumably was a work in progress.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

You can’t help but stare in awe at the massive clay army lined up in 11 corridors making up the expanse of Pit 1. The more intimate views of Pits 2 and 3 are equally inspiring. But in a way, all these views are misleading. When the pits were first located the figures were largely broken into pieces, some large, some miniscule. Workers have spent myriad hours cataloging the shards and reconstructing the figures.

Terra cotta warriors Xi'an

I’ll explore the reconstruction in Part II of this series on the terra cotta warriors, including a revelation about what colors were discovered. Yes, I said colors. Tune in for more in Part II.

David J. Kent is an avid science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.

Check out my Goodreads author page. While you’re at it, “Like” my Facebook author page for more updates!