Han Terracotta Army Museum

The Han Terracotta Army Museum on Shizishan Hillside in Yunlong District, Xuzhou, Jiangsu, exhibits a Han-dynasty burial army discovered in 1984 near the tomb of a Western Han king of Chu, dating from the 2nd century BC. Xuzhou is the hometown of Liu Bang, founder of the Han dynasty, and the region was a centre of the Chu kingdom, whose rulers were buried in rock-cut tombs in the surrounding hills. The museum was built over the excavated pits and opened in stages from the late 1980s, and it stands as a smaller counterpart to the Qin terracotta army in Xi'an. The Han figures differ from their Qin predecessors in scale, being about 50 cm tall, and in style, with individual faces and simplified bodies. More than 4,000 warriors and horses were found in six pits, arranged in formation, including infantry, cavalry and chariot units. Most were made from moulded clay and originally painted, and some traces of colour survive. The museum displays the figures in situ in the earth pits, giving visitors a view of the burial context, and separate galleries show tomb goods including jade ornaments, bronze items and coins. The nearby Shizishan tomb, cut into the rock with corridors and chambers, is also open. The curatorial approach is chiefly archaeological, using the excavation setting and explanatory panels rather than themed interpretation. Conservation is a continuing task because of the fragility of the painted clay, and environmental controls limit light and humidity in the pit halls. A full visit takes about one and a half to two hours, and admission is around CNY 45. The hillside setting makes it a pleasant stop within Xuzhou's wider heritage circuit.