Guarding an emperor

There are spaces in the world that instantly consume visitors with feelings of awe and wonderment.

It is more than mere size of a physical structure or what appears starkly before your eyes. A sense of being immersed in the pages of history grips you as you gaze upon the work of those who went before. Your mind struggles to comprehend the craftsmanship and the enormity of the task, knowing that primarily human labor completed the work.

Americans marvel at historical discoveries at home that stretch only a couple of centuries.

On the other side of the world, it is nothing to behold works that span more than two millennium and appear to have withstood the ages.

For those who live in China's Shaanxi province and the city of Xian, history is life. The city is encapsulated by a continuos 8-mile wall from the Ming period, with remains from those built in the Han and Tang periods still standing.

But this seat of the first emperor of China, Qin Shihuangdi, is the site of a clay army that has stoically stood guard for 2,200 years over the mausoleum of the first Qin ruler.

This was my second visit to the site of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses that date from 220 B.C. and were discovered by farmers digging a well in 1974. One of those farmers sits at a desk at the entrance to Pit One. He will autograph a book that you buy on site, but if you choose not to buy the book, a small sign asks you not to take his photograph.

There have been cosmetic changes to improve visitor flow in more than two decades, reminiscent of a Disney-approach to tourism with the addition of turnstiles and a tram system (but it's only one way so you walk through shops and eateries on your way back).

Having viewed Pit One in 1982, one realizes that during the next 27 years Pit Two and Pit Three opened and a recent excavation of Pit Four began. Hundreds of additional warriors and a handful of horses have been reconstructed.

Pit Four is observed by peering into a small glass enclosure; the latest means being used to preserve, if possible, the original pigment that was applied to the warriors.

Time, air and light have left the terracotta figures found in the original pit virtually bleached. A few of the warriors in Pit Three, where there is minimal light, maintain splotches of color on faces, hands and clothing.

The approximately 7,000 terracotta soldiers, 130 wooden chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses stand in protection of the dead emperor, facing east toward territories that were conquered during his reign.

Pit One contains the infantry, lined in rows, four deep with chariots and horses.

Pit Two shelters the cavalry and Pit Three was the command center.

The reconstruction of a terracotta warrior or horse can take up to two years, and even then, there may be missing pieces. Workers scour mounds of dirt in each pit for shards of clay that at one point comprised the figures.

The Terracotta Warriors were mass produced, but the heads and armor for each body were individually crafted. By examining the facial features of the soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder in the earthen pits, it is apparent that no two faces are exactly alike. For example, there are seven distinct mustaches.

The mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi, while unopened, has been penetrated over the years in part to verify the writings of Sima Qian in 100 B.C. Details of the Terracotta Warriors and their placement in the pits comes from his writings and descriptions of the burial site for the emperor. Inside the mound reportedly will be found an underground replica palace built 22 centuries ago. There are rivers of mercury described in the writings and archeologists have discovered high concentrations of mercury in the land covering the mausoleum, lending credence to the Qian manuscripts.

A Chinese student, who is studying at a Xian university, befriended us during our trip to Xian. He shared these insights: "In the ancient times in China, we thought when you died you would continue your life in the heaven. So when the host died, we would bury a lot of relics into his grave. The grave to the powerful person was very important so the host spared no efforts to build the splendid and luxurious grave."

Qin Shihuangdi left his mark on history -- the beginnings of the Great Wall, standardized written language, and a terracotta army for his time to come.