An Army in Clay
More than a thousand life-size soldiers unearthed so far — every face different, from generals to kneeling archers — guarding a tomb started when the First Emperor was 13 and finished by nearly 720,000 workers over 38 years.
秦始皇帝陵博物院(兵马俑)
About Us
The story of the Terracotta Army — the buried legion of China's First Emperor, a UNESCO World Heritage necropolis since 1987 — and of this independent English-language guide.
Who we are
An Independent Guide to the Emperor's Army
This site is run by a small editorial team of China-based travel writers who have walked the pits of Lintong in every season — in summer heat above 37°C, in autumn's crisp light and in winter when the hangars belong to you alone. We built this English-language guide because one of the world's greatest archaeological sites deserved more than a translated brochure: travelers deserve to know what a ticket really includes, how the free shuttle to the mausoleum works, and which hour of the day turns a crowded hangar into a private audience with the First Emperor.
Every page blends first-hand visits with the museum's official announcements and hundreds of verified Trip.com traveler reports, and each fact is re-checked before publishing. When something can change — seasonal hours, ticket quotas, shuttle times — we say so plainly and point you to the official ticket hotline rather than guessing.
1987the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor joins the UNESCO World Heritage list
What this place stands for
Four Pillars of the Necropolis
The Terracotta Army is more than a photo stop — it is a monument built around four ideas.
World Heritage
The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987 — pits, bronze chariots and the unexcavated mound protected as one necropolis.
Living Craftsmanship
Warriors were assembled in modular parts and finished by hand, then painted in brilliant lacquers — including the famous "Chinese purple" — a production line from 2,200 years ago you can still read on every face.
History You Can Walk
One ticket, two sites, 3–5 hours: the three pits museum, then a free shuttle west to the mausoleum mound and the Bronze Chariot Hall — rated 4.7/5 by more than 149,000 travelers.
Location
Lintong District, East of Xi'an
The museum sits in Lintong District, about 35 kilometers east of downtown Xi'an, Shaanxi — 1.5 kilometers east of the mausoleum mound itself, at the foot of Mount Li. Most visitors come out from Xi'an by bus, metro or a booked day tour and are at the gate in under an hour and a half.
- The address — Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China; the pits museum lies 1.5 km east of the mausoleum necropolis.
- From Xi'an — Tourist Bus 5 (306) from the railway station, Metro Line 9 plus a short taxi hop, or a 40–60 minute ride by taxi and ride-hailing apps.
- Pair it — Huaqing Palace on the same metro line, the Xi'an City Wall and the Muslim Quarter make the classic city day.
- Ticket inquiry — +86-29-81399127 for official opening hours and group visits.
The sights
What You Will See in the Pits
Six headline moments — each one 2,200 years in the making.
The Pit One Panorama
The first-step view: about 6,000 warriors and horses in battle formation inside a 230-by-62-metre vaulted hangar.
The Front Ranks
Walk the raised corridors for close-ups — no two faces alike, every topknot and armor plate finished by hand.
The Kneeling Archer
Pit Two's glass-case icon — half-crouched, palms and shoe treads still crisp after twenty-two centuries underground.
The Bronze Chariots
Two half-size chariot-and-horse teams of gold and silver inlay, unearthed in 1980 — the "Crown of Ancient Bronzes".
Pit Three's Command Post
Officers, a scarred war chariot and the meeting room — the brain of an army that never marched.
The Mausoleum Mound
The emperor's own grassy pyramid — unexcavated, mercury-touched and closed to the world — seen from the necropolis paths.
The army in numbers
The Terracotta Army at a Glance
3Pits of the Buried Legion
6,000Warriors & Horses in Pit One Alone
720,000Workers Over 38 Years
1987UNESCO World Heritage Inscription
4.7/5Trip.com Rating · 149,681 reviews
#1of 322 Things to Do in Xi'an
Our promise
An Honest, Visitor-First Guide
This website is an independent, English-language guide for international travelers planning a visit to Xi'an Terracotta Warriors. We are not the official museum: our job is to turn the necropolis's practical information into one clear, current and honest resource — what a ticket actually includes, how the shuttle between the pits and the mausoleum works, when the crowds surge, and what real travelers wish they had known before arriving.
When details can change — seasonal hours, ticket quotas, shuttle times — we say so plainly and point you to the official ticket hotline rather than guessing. That honesty is the whole point: an army this vast rewards good planning.