Over
2,200 years ago, China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, in search of
immortality and eternal power, ordered the construction of a vast underground
army of 8,000 life-size terra cotta warriors. For 36 years, more than
700,000 laborers worked on this huge public works project. Each of the
actual soldiers has a unique and distinctive face, and it is thought
that real soldiers served as models. Formal excavation began in 1974
and will continue for several more years. Located in the city of Xi-An
China, the site is visited by over 2 million tourists a year.
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