Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed
from different sides. - Lao Tzu
You will not want to miss this post. Not a minute. Not a second. This is my number one nominee for the New Seven Wonders of the World.
The Terracotta Warriors and Cavalry in Xi'an, China.
It is said that a group of farmers digging a well nearby had discovered a vast underground city guarded by a life-sized army. It was a burial complex.
Horses, chariots and all their attendant armor and weaponry.
A sprawling citadel complete with gardens and stables, bronze ritual vessels, jade jewelry, and a wealth of gold and silver ornaments.
Imagine that!
The soldiers average around 5'11" in height with some as tall as 6'7". Their head, arms and bodies are all hollow with the legs being solid pottery.
The horse statues modeled on the domesticated war-horse are life-sized as well - about 5'6" in height and 6' to 7' long.
Remarkable.
The over 2,000-year old funerary art was buried with the First Emperor of China for his protection in the afterlife.
This I will admit to. Having been there, it felt like touching the shadow of a soul. The burial site captured something of the feeling that the dead were a welcome presence among the living.
But not meaning to beat a dead horse (pun fully intended - ha!), I'd say that the rationale for the elaborate entourage eludes me.
Houyhnhnm!
P.S. Give me one of those gorgeous horse sculptures, though, and I'll forever hold my peace.
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