Largest group of life-size statues

The group of life-size clay soldiers and other figures – commonly known as the "Terracotta Army" – discovered near Xi’an, China, are reported to total as many as 8,000 in number, although more conservative estimates place this figure somewhat lower (in the region of 6,000–8,000). Archaeologists have located 600 pits across a 22-sq-mile area since their accidental discovery in 1974. Figures excavated so far include soldiers, archers, horses, chariots, officials, musicians and acrobats. The army was originally produced under the instructions of Qin Shi Huangdi (who proclaimed himself first emperor of China in 221 BC), and was intended to accompany his funerary tomb. Mass-produced using moulds, each finished figure has a unique face. Some 40,000 bronze weapons – including battle axes, crossbows, arrowheads and spears – have also been recovered. Their sophisticated protective chrome plating means that these items remain well preserved after more than 2,000 years.

The chamber containing the Terracotta Army was first discovered in 1974 when a group of local farmers tried to dig a well near the ancient capital city of Chang’an – near the modern city of Xi’an, in the Shaanxi Province. The various estimates published for the number of figures discovered – totals of 6,000, 7,000, 8,000 have all been suggested – are extrapolations based on partial excavations of "test pits" dug in the four principal pits containing warrior figures (one of which was empty) and newer pits containing other figures including officials and acrobats. The exact number of uncovered figures is unknown and a precise number may be impossible to give, owing to the fact that not all of the figures are complete. No unbroken figures have yet been found, and many exist only in the form of scattered arms, heads, and so on. Restorers work constantly to piece these together into complete figures, and it is only these reconstructed pieces that are seen in touring exhibitions.
Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, today the Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Park attracts around 2 million visitors every year.