In 1974, a farmer digging a well in a field in China came upon the terracotta warriors by chance, and the world was amazed by this discovery of a huge number of life-sized pottery soldiers and horses made over 2000 years ago. The number is estimated to be about 8,000 pieces, and research still continues to this day.

The year 2022 marks 50 years from the normalization of diplomatic relations between Japan and China. To commemorate this occasion and place focus on the history of ancient China, the terracotta warriors who have been protecting the emperor since his death, will be on display in Japan

In 221 B.C., Emperor Qin Shihuang established the first unified empire in Chinese history. The Han Empire founded later by Liu Bang was one of the golden ages of ancient China. This exhibition dynamically displays approximately 200 pieces of artifacts excavated in Guanzhong (present-day Shaanxi Province), the central region of the Qin and Han empires, including first-class cultural artifacts (a unique Chinese classification that refers to the finest and most valuable artifacts), which are being displayed for the first time in Japan. With the actual artifacts, visitors can observe the historical wonder of how the tiny terracotta warriors of the Warring States period became life-size terracotta warriors at the Mausoleum of the First Emperor, and then into smaller terracotta warriors at the Mausoleum of the Han Dynasty Emperors. The exhibition also focuses on the similarities between the Mausoleums of the First Emperor and Han Emperors and the pyramids of Egypt, and explores the mysteries of ancient mausoleums in the East and West through satellite images. This is a fascinating exhibition with fresh new perspectives.
Xian City, Shaanxi Province in China, with the Mausoleums of the First Qin Emperor, is a sister city of the City of Kyoto.