Terra Cotta Warriors of Xi'an

I did not get to Xi'an when I traveled to China in 2007. I did, however, get to see a small exhibit of the warriors in Taipei. I was amazed by the humanity apparent in their faces, and quite stunned by the personality in each one. Every warrior on display was different from the others in some way. Their facial expressions, hairstyles, garments, posture and more all contained subtle differences. It was an extremely crowded exhibit and one that we were required to pass through much too quickly, but in just a short time I was overwhelmed by the scope of the work.

I am thrilled to report that the National Geographic Museum will serve as the final stop on the two-year U.S. tour of Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor. Open from November 19, 2009 through March 31, 2010, the exhibition will feature treasures from the tomb complex including 15 life-size figures, weapons, armor, coins, and more. This exhibit is the largest collection of significant artifacts from China ever to travel to the United States.

There is a teacher's guide available for download and an exhibition web site with further information. I'm planning on a visit and I hope all of you who can get to D.C. will consider taking advantage of this wonderful opportunity.