Seeking underground water in 1974, engineers dug down 20 feet into the soft earth. They didn't find water, but discovered an amazing army of sculptured men. There were 8,000 uniformed, armed, life-sized figures, each with individual facial and body features. Now world-famous, they’re called the Terracotta Warriors of Xian.

Archaeologists have determined that the sculptures are at least 2,200 years old. Historians report this display was created during the reign of an early warrior, King Qinshihuang. His figure lies in a tomb among the soldier formations, as they were created to protect him in the afterlife. Along with the soldiers and tomb, there are figures of  horses, musicians, acrobats, concubines and nobility, all realistically carved, colored and costumed. Amazingly, the site has not yet been fully excavated, and there are predictions that searchers will find even more figures.

In recent years, several groups of the Terracotta Warrior figures have traveled the world, appearing in exhibits at major museums. If you’re interested in seeing the original site in China or other scheduled exhibits, check with your local museum, hometown or onsite travel agency, and at tourtravelchina.com/xian-tour