Destinations: Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum

Following this day trip to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, you will get a glimpse into the first united empire in ancient China. When you come to face to face with the terracotta army, you will discover how extravagant and powerful the first Emperor Qin Shihuang was, more than 2,200 years ago.

The famous Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum is located in Lintong district, about one hour’s drive from Xi’an city center. How to get to the Terracotta Army from Xi’an? There are two direct buses from the city center to the museum. One is bus No. 307 departing from the south gate of the Tang Paradise. The other is tourist bus No. 5 (306), departing from the east square of Xi’an railway station. To have best part of the day touring in Xi’an, you could arrange your train travel to arrive at Xi’an railway station in the early morning. Take bus No. 5 (306) directly after you exit the railway station. There are also many minibuses in the square which travel to Lintong, but they are not well maintained and operated. Tourist bus No. 5 (306) is a large grey green bus operated by the state-run bus company. The buses are clean and comfortable with air-condition; their drivers and conductors wear blue-black uniforms.

Tourist bus No. 5 (306) runs from the railway station to the museum at intervals of 15 minutes, between 07:00 and 19:00. There are several stops including the Lishan Mountain Cable Car Station, Huaqing Hot Spring, and finally the museum. It takes about one 70 minutes and costs CNY7 per person to get to the museum from the railway station.

The bus terminates at the parking lot of the museum, and you can easily find the ticket office. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from the ticket office to the entrance of the museum; a battery powered cart at a cost of CNY5 per person is also available. The entrance fee for the museum is CNY150 in peak season and CNY120 in low season. As the historical background of the terracotta army is a little complicated, it is suggested that visitors hire a guide to show them around and to deliver a detailed explanation.

The museum covers 16,300 square meters in three sections, Pit No.1, Pit No.2 and Pit No.3. After going through the entrance, you will face Pit No.1. It is the largest and the first pit excavated. Thousands of pottery soldiers and chariots are arrayed in the pit. Pit No. 2 is just to the east of Pit No.1, and Pit No. 3 is to the north of Pit No. 2. After visiting the three pits, the Exhibition Hall should not be missed. There, the exquisite Bronze Chariot and Horses are on show. To the south of Pit No. 1, you will find the cinema with a 360º screen. There, a movie played in a continuous loop, introduces the history of the Qin Dynasty, the manufacturing procedure of the pottery soldiers, their subsequent damage, and discovery, repair and exhibition.

Two to three hours are recommended for visiting this marvelous site. There are many restaurants outside the museum, but most are tourist restaurants with low service and food quality. For westerners, the fast-food restaurants like KFC and Subway are better choices.

Since 2010, the ticket price for the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum includes entrance to the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, 15 kilometers away. If you are interest in it, you can have a look at this mausoleum of China's first emperor. There are free shuttle buses traveling between these two sites. The mausoleum park is very large, so most visitors choose to take the battery carts at fare of CNY8 per person to travel around the park.

After your visit the mausoleum, take the shuttle bus back to the entrance of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Return to the parking lot and take the tourist bus No. 5 (306) or bus No. 307 back to the city. Please remember the last buses back to Xi’an depart from the Terracotta Warrior and Horses Museum at 19:00.