Terracotta Warriors exhibition to open in Liverpool
Photographs by Mr Ziyu Qiu.

A landmark exhibition is set to opens within Liverpool's City's World Museum, on Friday, 9 February 2018. The 'China's 1st Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors' exhibition, will open on 9 February to 28 October 2018. The 2,000 year old blockbuster exhibition tells the story of the formative years of the Chinese nation, from the pre-unification Qin Kings, to China's 1st Emperor, Qin Shi Huang's rise to power and the legacy of his achievements in the succeeding Han Dynasty.

Visitors will come face to face with extraordinary Terracotta Warriors, including a life size terracotta horse, as well as other exquisite objects from the Emperor's vast burial complex. Objects from the Han Dynasty will explore ancient Chinese lifestyle, the economic prosperity of the empire and beautifully crafted artefacts from royal burials.

Spanning almost 1,000 years, the exhibition sheds light on the formative years of the Chinese nation, from the bitter struggles of warring states in the 8th century BC to the rise of the Qin State and the unification of China by the 1st Emperor in 221 BC, concluding with the peace and prosperity of the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD).

The exhibition has been curated by leading scholars and designed by National Museums Liverpool, working with the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and Shaanxi History Museum. China's 1st Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors will also feature immersive technology to create a unique and evocative interpretation of this historical collection.

David Fleming, Director of National Museums Liverpool, said:- "This is a tremendous coup, not just for Liverpool, but for the whole of the UK. As home to one of the oldest Chinese communities in Europe, Liverpool is absolutely the right place for this exhibition, and we are hugely excited to be working with our museum colleagues in China to bring a collection of Warriors, and many other significant historical discoveries to the UK. The Terracotta Warriors have found incredible fame around the world since they were discovered by chance in 1974, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see them in Liverpool. We thank our partners in this endeavour, including the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. I urge everyone to attend this 'must see' show, the highlight of Liverpool's 10th Anniversary celebrations, as European Capital of Culture, in 2018."

Shaanxi Province in North West China was home to the 1st Emperor and his ancestors. Archaeologists working near Xi'an, the ancient capital of China, have uncovered 3 large pits of life sized Terracotta Warriors over the last 40 years, each with their own individual clothing, hair and facial features, along with horses and war chariots. The pits were found to the east of the Emperor's mausoleum, an area which at 56 square kilometres is the biggest known burial site on earth. The mausoleum itself remains unopened, but it is estimated there are around 8,000 figures in total, most of which are still to be excavated.

Remarkable new discoveries are continually coming to light, which indicate that Emperor Qin Shi Huang wished to take the entire universe into the afterlife. The scale and lavishness of his burial site and the mystery of the Emperor's mausoleum forms a major component of the exhibition.

Dr. James Lin, from the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, has been appointed by National Museums Liverpool as the exhibition's guest curator. Dr. Lin is an expert in early Chinese material culture, including bronzes and jades.

Dr. Lin, said:- "The tradition of burial practice was continued by the Emperor's successors in the later Han Dynasty, who constructed vast underground chambers and passageways filled with food and drink, as well as animals and clay servants, examples of which will be included in the exhibition; everything the Emperors would need to ensure they enjoyed a luxurious lifestyle for eternity in their underground palaces. China's 1st Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors promises to be an extraordinary exhibition, exploring this fascinating pursuit of immortality."

The exhibition will be accompanied by an exciting programme of activities for Schools and a public events programme throughout the duration of its 8 month run.

Tickets are priced from ₤14.50 for adults and ₤5.50 for children aged between 6 and 17 years. Children aged 5 years and under go free and there are a number of additional concessions. National Museums Liverpool members get free unlimited access to the exhibition.

Further details of prices and how to book tickets can be found at:- LiverpoolMuseums.Org.UK/TerracottaWarriors.

The exhibition is organised by National Museums Liverpool, United Kingdom and the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau and Shaanxi History Museum (Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre), People's Republic of China.