Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, China

Fast Facts

Location: Located in the Lintong County, 35 km east of Xian, on the Lishan Mountain in China.
Time to Visit: March to November.
Preferred Timings: 07.30 a.m. to 06.30 p.m.
How to Reach: Air:
The nearest airport is Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY). You will find flights from various destinations of China including Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dunhuang, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Harbin, Hohhot, Kunming, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Urumqi, Wuhan and Xining. You will also find international flights to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Macau, Seoul, Tokyo, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Niigata.
Train:
You can reach Xi'an from various parts of the country including Beijing, Chongqing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Kunming, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Urumqi, Wuhan and Zhengzhou.
Bus:
Regular bus services are available to Xi'an from Huashan, Lanzhou, Luoyang, Taiyuan, and Zhengzhou. Take bus route 306 to reach the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.
You can reach Potala Palace from the city centre of Lhasa just by foot. Alternatively, you can also hire a taxi.
Entry Fee: 40 rmb.
Time for Visit: 3 hours (approximately)
Nearest Airport: Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY)
Nearest Station: Xi'an Railway Station.

It houses the famous terracotta soldiers of China that dates back to 210 BC — a 7000 strong army in clay, complete with full battle armor, on feet and on horses, poised for attack at any given moment — the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Located in the Lintong County, 35 km east of Xian, on the Lishan Mountain in China, the grandeur and mystery of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor are surely going to overwhelm you. Qin Shi Huangdi was the first emperor of China who ordered the construction of his royal tomb after completing his many conquests. The construction work completed in 210 BC just in time. It covers a huge area of 2.18 million square meters where the tomb itself covering 220,000 square meters to make it larger than the Great pyramid of Egypt. Though originally the tomb was 166 meters high, but due to weathering and damage, the height has been reduced to 76 meter in the following years. It is surrounded by thousands of famous terracotta warriors. The figures, small in size with their horses, chariots and weapons, are different from each other. The mausoleum still holds a huge mystery as lot is yet to be unearthed here.

Visiting Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

Exploring the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is a continuous process of discovering the architectural brilliance of the Qin dynasty. Starting from the huge tomb of Qin Shi Huangdi which was cast in bronze, everything you see here will make you surprised. The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is divided into an inner sanctuary and the outer city. The Terracotta Army buried underground is perhaps the largest attraction of the mausoleum are the largest pottery figurine group ever discovered in China. Due to its richness of architecture, it is often described as the “eighth wonder of the world”.

There are four pits in the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. The first one consists of 11 corridors and is paved with small bricks with a wooden ceiling. The second pit has cavalry and infantry units along with war chariots. The third pit is the command post with higher officials and a war chariot, whereas the fourth pit has remained empty.

The mausoleum also has a number of other satellite toms including the tombs of ministers, princesses and princes. Though a lot of things have been discovered from the mausoleum, but there are lots more yet to be discovered. Go and explore one of the most glorious mysteries in the current world.