Hundreds of Chinese relics and statues hit WA in world first

Perth Now

21-06-2025

Perth is preparing to host the 'eighth wonder of the world'.
The world-famous Chinese Terracotta Warriors have marched their way to WA Museum Boola Bardip, where they are taking up residence from June 28 for the next seven months.
From next Saturday Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor will transport people back to ancient China and shine a light on emperor Qin Shi Huang thanks to some never-seen-before artefacts along with a virtual tour of his unopened tomb.
'For me, this is the eighth wonder of the world,' WA Museum Boola Bardip executive officer Alec Cole said.
'Warrior figures have been to Australia before, but never like this, never in such a large exhibition and never with this digital content, we have created something special for WA, it really shows what we're capable of.' The largest display of Chinese Terracotta Warriors is being staged in Perth alongside a virtual tour of an emperor's unopened tomb in an exclusive exhibition where never-seen-before artefacts will be on show. Credit: Supplied;Robyn Ambrosius
The Terracotta Army dates back to 246 BCE, when Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, had 700,000 people build him a 49sqkm mausoleum along with an army of more than 8000 clay warriors to defend his tomb forever.
His tomb remains unopened, but ancient historians have described it as a vast underground kingdom with streams of mercury and deadly booby traps.
The Terracotta Warriors were discovered by farmers in Lintong County, China, in 1974 and over recent years have featured in exhibitions at some of the world's greatest museums.
Mr Cole told The Sunday Times 70 per cent of the artefacts in Perth have never been to Australia before and 40 per cent have never left China.
The 10 life-size clay sculptures — the maximum number permitted to leave China — 225 relics and the virtual tomb tour will remain at Boola Bardip until February.
Each warrior — hand-crafted to each have a uniquely modelled face, weighing up to 180kg and standing at 180cm tall — was transported to Perth via a Cathay Pacific flight from Beijing. The largest display of Chinese Terracotta Warriors is being staged in Perth alongside a virtual tour of an emperor's unopened tomb in an exclusive exhibition where never-seen-before artefacts will be on show. Credit: Supplied / Alamy Stock Photo
Rare gold ornaments, bronze vessels, ancient chariots, gilded belt hooks and painted cavalry figures are among some of the newly unearthed relics that have never been on display before.
Mr Cole said he expected a bronze swan, cast using the ancient lost-wax method, to be a crowd favourite.
'Walking into the exhibition I hope people will firstly see that the opening section is a very immersive,' he said.
'It will transport them to China, to ancient China, and give them a sense of the context of the exhibition. Credit: Ross Swanborough / The West Australian, WA Museum Director Alec Coles for STM profile story on the man who made the new museum happen in Perth.
'Then as they proceed through they will see some of the most wonderful artefacts, many of which have never been seen outside of China before.
'Visitors will get the chance to engage and interact with replicas ... and then of course they will see the warrior figures themselves in all their glory.
'There will also be an animated wall of the warriors, as to if they came to life ... people will be able to use a digital touchpad to colour the warriors.'
And there is also a little surprise in store.
'The digital tomb experience we created, well, who knows what the contents of it might be, only time will tell if we've got it right,' Mr Cole said.
The exhibition was developed in collaboration with the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre and the Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum.
It is estimated to be a money spinner for the State, predicted to bring some $45 million into Perth from overseas visitors.
'We're expecting people from the east coast and from overseas,' Mr Cole said.
'Our main marketing campaign is not even up yet, but we've already sold tickets to people overseas who want to come and see this because it's going to be so unique.'
Eight warrior sculptures came to Australia in 2019 for the National Gallery of Victoria's show Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality.
Mr Cole — who has worked at the museum for more than 15 years — and said that 'Western Australia has every right to see the best and the most brilliant international exhibitions as anyone else in the world'.
'We are very committed to making sure that WA gets the chance to see these things as well,' he said.
Creative Industries Minister Simone McGurk said the digital immersion and multi-media component of the exhibition 'is like no other'.
'This is a great opportunity for the Western Australian public to come and see this exhibition and be immersed in the history of China's first emperor and be transported back more than 2000 years,' Ms McGurk said.
For the first time ever, the museum is offering season passes for $90 allowing visitors to return as often as they like throughout the entire exhibition run.
General admission is $30 for adults and $15 for kids aged five to 15.
The exhibition closes next year on February 22.