Tourist damages Terracotta Army's clay warriors
A tourist climbed over a fence and jumped into a section of the world-famous display of China's Terracotta Army, damaging two ancient clay warriors.
The 30-year-old, from China, was visiting the museum housing the Terracotta Army in the city of Xi'an on Friday when he 'climbed over the guard rail and the protective net and jumped', public security officials said in a statement.
The man, whose surname is Sun, was found to be suffering from mental illness and the case is under investigation.
He 'pushed and pulled' the clay warriors and two were 'damaged to varying degrees', the statement said, before he was 'controlled' by security personnel.
The pit into which he jumped is up to 5.4 metres (18ft) deep, according to the museum's website.
Built around 209 BC to stand guard over the tomb of the first emperor, the 8,000-strong Terracotta Army is one of China's most important archaeological discoveries and considered a symbol of ancient Chinese artistic and military sophistication.
A main tourist attraction in Xi'an, capital of the northern province of Shaanxi, it has been a Unesco world heritage site since 1987.
A worker at the museum said on Saturday that the display was open as usual.
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