The Terracotta Army, known in Chinese as the "soldier and horse funerary statues," is one of the most astonishing archeological discoveries of the past few decades. Buried in 210-209 BC with Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi near the city of Xi'an, the Terracotta Army was created, according to ancient beliefs, to help Quin continued his reign in the afterlife. Despite its antiquity, the Terracotta Army wasn't discovered until 1974, and this happened as an accident, as workers were drilling in the area and uncovered the colossal structure.

The Terracotta Army consists of over 8000 life-size statues, mostly representing soldiers and horses, but also chariots, weapons, and other objects. The Terracotta Army is extremely detailed, with warriors wearing different uniforms according to rank, and featuring detailed faces and lifelike postures. They are also positioned according to precise military formation, obeying rules of rank.

The Terracotta Army is part of the Mausoleum for Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi, which includes a 76 meter (83 yards) tall pyramid believed to be a royal tomb. The tomb, however, remains unopened, as archeologists believe accessing the place will cause irreversible damage to the contents. The main entrance to the royal tomb has yet to be found, which may also explain why archeologists are wary of causing damage to the structure by digging blindly around it. Qin’s necropolis also includes several halls and tunnels. The Mausoleum alone took 38 years to complete and a large number of the workers who labored on it were buried alive inside the structure to protect the secrets of the place.

The Terracotta Army is now a popular tourist attraction. Housed inside a specialized hangar, the Terracotta Army covers 22,000 square meters and is organized in 11 columns according to the army rank of the soldiers. Parts of the Terracotta Army are housed in room-like compartments indicating different stages of battle.

For those who cannot afford a visit to China, replicas of the Terracotta Army can be seen at the Forbidden Gardens in Texas. The British Museum in London also has a rotating exhibition showing 12 original Terracotta warriors.