In a bid to see one of China's big wonders Claire & I flew to Xian to see the Terracotta Warriors. The one-day trip built a lot of expectation, but was worth it. Initially the scale of the site is impressive, thousands of models in their original setting, but what really impressed me was the minutiae of the individual warriors as each is different. Standing in their ranks it's possible to see the varying heights, postures and features of each warrior - most looking humanist and fearsome, though we picked out several that looked stylised and a little surreal in their design.
Five different warriors (ie a general, an archer etc) have been pulled out of the dig-site and placed behind glass allowing you to get within centimetres of them. Up close the detail is even more impressive as you can see the braiding in their hair, buckles on their armor and ruffle in the pleats of their cloaks.
Xian too is a daunting city, the one that most made me feel that I was in a totalitarian state. The buildings are humongous (especially the local government bureaucracy building), the streets are wide, and public spaces are dauntingly large. For the first time I've felt small and isolated in a Chinese city.
1 comment:
Hey James and Claire,
Looks like I missed you in Xian by about a week! Such an awesome city - if you thought Xian was big you should try and visit Shanghai or even better Beijing before you come home - now they are awe inspriring and very, very cool! Can't wait to read more of your stories!
Love, Cousin Kirsten oxo
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