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Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
New discoveries unearthed at Bowers' Terracotta warriors exhibition
The discovery of the first Terracotta Army pit in 1974 in the city of Xi'an, China was monumental in the sense that it gave archaeologists an intimate look into life in ancient China. Extremely detailed and incredibly well preserved, the stone figures have captivated museum visitors for 50 years. In 2008 and 2011, Bowers Museum featured Terracotta warriors exhibitions and now the relics return to Santa Ana as the museum presents 'World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century.' Jointly organized by the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Site Museum of the People's Republic of China and Bowers Museum, the new display is on view through Oct.19. Curated by Tianlong Jiao, Bowers' chief curator, the exhibition is made possible by contributions from PNC Bank, East West Bank and the Carpenter Foundation. While 2024 marked 50 years since the figures were first discovered, the exhibition this year continues to offer more to explore with the addition of more than 110 newly unearthed treasures making their North American debut in the Orange County show. 'We are incredibly proud to be hosting this historic exhibition in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the original discovery of the warriors,' said Sean O'Harrow, president of Bowers Museum, in a statement. 'And we are excited to feature new discoveries from royal tombs dating back further 2,000 years.' At a preview of the exhibition on May 23, Jiao was joined by Li Gang, director of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum Museum, in leading an exclusive tour of the artifacts in the exhibition, beginning with highlights like the early Walled City discoveries. A reproduction of Shimao's walls, the largest known wall site in China where the discovery of jade pieces led to an archaeological investigation, features its own hidden jade between the wall's stone bricks, each with additional information about the significance of jade during the time period. It's one of a few interactive elements museum visitors will find as they move through the exhibit. They're meant to engage the viewer in an educational experience about China's political and artistic achievements before and during the Qin dynasty, Jiao explained. 'Jade was used as a ceremonial object,' Jiao said. 'We created this wall to help our visitors understand the significance.' It is fascinating to consider the ways life in ancient China included practices that are still popular today. An earring excavated from Zhaigou in 2022, for example, dates back to 1200-1000 BCE. 'This is the earliest gold earring in China and, if you notice, it is all one piece of hammered gold,' Jiao said. 'You know, even today if you wear this you will be in fashion.' The gold ear bob is curved into a swirl with a square of turquoise accenting it, a testament to the ancient jewelry maker's skill. The purpose of other artifacts and their inspiration are less clear to the modern eye. 'You may think this is a sculpture of an animal, but it is actually a wine vessel,' Jiao said of a bronze figure from the early Western Zhou Dynasty, which lasted from roughly 1046 to 1000 BCE. While it may look like a familiar animal, a closer look reveals its species is hard to pinpoint. 'This animal is very mysterious and we don't know what to call it, because it has the features of several animals,' said Jiao. 'If you look carefully, you see ears and rabbit face, but on both sides it has fish fins. It is very well cast and it was found inside one of the tombs.' The wine vessel is among the royal tomb artifacts included in the show. 'This is one of the 27 bronze vessels discovered by farmers in 2003,' said Gang, making them a newer addition to the exhibition. A few figures excavated from the 'Entertainers Pit' (also known as Pit K9901) from about 1999 to 2012 appear to have been modeled after those who entertained royalty. While beyond restoration because of the damaged condition they were in when archaeologists discovered them, it isn't difficult to speculate about their poses. A shirtless, muscular figure with his arm aloft, a hand pointing up was mostly likely meant to depict the traditional Chinese acrobatic art of plate spinning, according to Jiao. 'Many know the warriors, but this is a new discovery,' said Jiao. 'You can't see it but there is a hole that goes all the way down, for a stick. He is one of the Chinese acrobats.' The many life-size terracotta sculptures of soldiers and horses, displayed alongside intricately crafted half-size chariots, are the highlights of the show. The sculptures are a form of funerary art buried with the emperor, meant to protect and serve him in the afterlife and ensure that his power and influence continued even after death. Two half-sized bronze chariots, each drawn by four bronze horses, were excavated from a pit near Qin Chi Huang's Mausoleum. The detailed horse fleet and charioteers adorned in gold and silver were most likely created to usher the emperor's spirit to the other side. The most familiar figures are enclosed in glass, including a kneeling archer, an armored warrior and another archer, whose arm pulls back on a non-existent bow. Many of them were extracted from the first pit in the early 1980s. An interactive screen in one section of the exhibition allows users to paint their own Terracotta warrior, creating a simulation that more closely resembles the way the figures looked when they were first created. 'What you see here, the warriors don't have any paint, but when they were buried, every figure had paint,' Jiao said. The exhibition opened on the heels of Bowers Museum signing a memorandum of understanding with Shanghai Museum to foster cultural collaboration in February. The partnership ensures Bowers will continue to highlight installations that celebrate China's artistic achievements and historical treasures, as it has done in the past with exhibitions like 'Treasures from Shanghai: 5000 Years of Art and Culture' in 2007, and the current exhibition 'Ancient Arts of China: A 5000 Year Legacy.' In conjunction with 'World of the Terracotta Warriors,' a Terracotta warrior-themed installation will debut in the Jewel Court at South Coast Plaza on June 4 and remain on view through June 30. 'World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century' is on view through Oct. 16 at Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main Street in Santa Ana. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For tickets visit
ABC News
04-05-2025
- ABC News
Hotels in China continue to knock back foreign tourists
When Australian tourist Alice Jiao booked a hotel in Nanjing, a city in eastern China, she double-checked the online listing to make sure it accepted foreign guests before reserving her accommodation. But when Ms Jiao arrived at the Nanjing Rest Yizhi Hotel in February, hotel staff politely told her she could not stay there because the hotel only accepted foreigners with a Chinese permanent residence card. Exhausted from travelling, the unexpected rejection left Ms Jiao feeling anxious. "Of course, it felt unlucky to run into something like this," she said. Alice Jiao booked her hotel on Chinese app, Meituan. ( Supplied: Alice Jiao ) One year after Chinese authorities ordered hotels in China to accept all foreign tourists in a bid to boost inbound tourism, some hotels continue to turn international travellers away. Many tourists have taken to social media platforms like Reddit and Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, to share their experiences and vent their frustration. Other travellers from countries including Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, and Russia have left reviews on platforms like warning other tourists to not repeat their mistakes. The tourists' experiences come as Chinese authorities attempt to rejuvenate the tourism sector with a raft of measures, including Relaxing tourist visa rules has been highly effective — in 2024, the country recorded 131.9 million inbound visits, a 61 per cent increase in visitor numbers from the previous year, according to a report by the China Tourism Academy. Policy and practice disconnect Nanjing Rest Yizhi Hotel apologised to Alice Jiao and offered her a refund. ( Supplied: CTrip ) Ms Jiao booked her stay through Meituan, a popular Chinese super-app that provides a range of services including food delivery and hotel and ticket booking. Nanjing Rest Yizhi Hotel apologised to Ms Jiao and offered her a refund, but the listing on the booking site continues to show the hotel accepts foreign guests. A hotel staff member told the ABC the hotel's policy was in line with local police rules, which stipulated small hotels can only accept guests with a permanent resident card, called a five-star card, in China. "Larger hotels can take passport holders. We are a low-cost hotel," they said. Meituan is a popular app in China that provides a range of services from food delivery to bike-sharing. ( Reuters: Florence Lo ) Under China's Exit and Entry Administration Law, hotels must register foreign guests and report their information to local police. Foreigners staying outside hotels must register with local police within 24 hours, either by themselves or through their hosts. Chinese law also previously required hotels to obtain special licenses to accommodate international tourists and travellers from Hong Kong and Macau. But this rule was gradually relaxed and officially scrapped in May 2024 as part of China's post-pandemic tourism reforms. Photo shows A smiling lady in a pink hat and top waves her hands as she stands in crowd in bright sun outside Federal Parliament. Under the new arrangement announced by Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Australians will be able to travel to China for up to 15 days without the need to apply and pay for a visa. The May joint notice from China's Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Commerce, and National Immigration Administration said hotels must not reject foreign guests under the excuse of lacking foreign-related licenses. Sam Huang, a tourism researcher at Edith Cowan University, said the current government policy was more of a guideline than a mandate and was not enforced by some local authorities. "In practice, central government policies don't always align with how local authorities regulate hotels," explained Dr Huang, who has worked at China's National Tourism Administration. Smaller, independent budget hotels were used to serving local Chinese travellers and often struggled to accommodate international tourists because of language barriers and outdated systems that struggle to register foreign passports. Hotels need clearer ads Emily Qin travelled to China in January. ( Supplied: Emily Qin ) Malaysian tourist Emily Qin was also knocked back from a hotel in China in January. Ms Qin booked the Royal International Apartment, near a major airport in Guangzhou, through Meituan but was turned away at check-in. "[It was] my first shocking booking experience of 2025," she said. Ms Qin explained there was nothing on the hotel listing about foreign tourists, and said hotels should clearly state what guests they accepted. The Guangzhou Royal International Apartment has updated its listing to say it does not accept foreign travellers. ( Supplied: Ctrip ) Ms Qin said the hotel's policy could pose a "big problem" for elderly travellers and young families. When Ms Qin initially asked for a refund, the hotel told her to request it through Meituan. But after a dispute, she secured a full refund directly from the hotel. A staff member from the Royal International Apartment told the ABC it had always stated its policy regarding foreign guests on Meituan since it opened. But Ms Qin insisted she didn't see the note when she booked. Meituan did not respond to the ABC's request for comments in relation to both Ms Qin and Ms Jiao's experiences. Call to confirm booking The ABC found multiple hotel listings on China-based online platforms including Meituan, Ctrip, and Qunar, that stated they only accepted guests with a valid Resident Identity Card, an ID for mainland Chinese citizens. However, often the same listings on global platforms like did not have that information. A review on says the hotel refused foreign guests. ( Supplied: ) For example, on the 7Days Premium Chengdu Giant Panda Base hotel said it only accepted guests with a Resident Identity Card, but the same listing on did not include this information. When the ABC called 7Days Premium Chengdu to ask about the discrepancy, a front desk staffer said they were not aware of the listing on The ABC contacted for comment. Mingming Cheng, a professor of marketing at Curtin University, said the discrepancy in information between global platforms and local hotels was common. "Local Chinese online travel agencies integrate better with domestic hotel systems," Dr Cheng said. "But many hotels don't understand what information international platforms required. There are also translation errors." In Xi'an, a major tourist city in China, there are at least 52 hotels within 500 meters of the popular Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City. Only 15 hotels accept foreign guests, and just two are budget hotels, according to an ABC analysis of hotels listings on Ctrip. Photo shows Four people standing in front of a shop sign in Chinese Starting this month, Australians travelling to China will no longer need to apply for a visa, but some challenges and inconveniences remain for foreign travellers when it comes to paying in the largely cashless society. Travel agency The China Guide suggested foreign tourists choose a hotel that was rated a minimum of four stars because they usually have more experience with international guests. For smaller or budget hotels, the agency recommended reading listings and reviews carefully and calling ahead to confirm. Travellers who find themselves rejected by the hotel could also refer the hotel to the government's notice that they must accept foreign tourists. In some cases, they could call the police for assistance, though this might cause further delays or inconvenience, the travel agency said. Dr Cheng said Chinese authorities and industry groups should encourage hotels to adopt a more welcoming approach toward foreign guests. He said small hotels need financial support and training to better accommodate international travellers. "Chinese hotels need a culture shift like during the 2008 Beijing Olympics — to treat foreign visitors as welcome guests, not as a burden," he said. The ABC contacted the Chinese government for this story but did not receive a response.
The Independent
27-02-2025
- The Independent
Man scammed out of £22,000 by AI ‘girlfriend' who needed money for medical bills
A man in China lost nearly £22,000 to a dating scam after getting into a 'long-distance relationship' with an AI 'girlfriend'. The victim, identified by his surname Liu, thought he was in a relationship with a girl called Ms Jiao, who sent him pictures and videos online. Little did the man from Shanghai know that Ms Jiao was merely a fictional character being used to dupe him out of his money. The scammers used generative artificial intelligence to create the fictional persona of Ms Jiao and then convince Mr Liu that the woman needed money to pay medical bills and fund a business, CCTV News reported. They scammed him out of 200,000 yuan, or about £21,720. A police investigation revealed that the "scammer team' sent Mr Liu 'videos and photos that were all created through AI or made by combining multiple images". They also created fake medical and reports bills to manipulate the victim into believing his 'girlfriend' was in urgent need of financial assistance. 'Throughout the process, Mr Liu never met Ms Jiao in person,' the report noted. AI scams have become a growing global concern, with criminals exploiting the technology to impersonate real individuals or create entirely fictional personas for financial fraud. In January, scammers conned a French woman out of more than £670,000 after convincing her that she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. The scammers used fake messages and AI videos to dupe the woman, claiming 'Pitt' needed money to pay for hospital treatment. In November last year, a British woman in her 60s gave around £19,750 to a scammer posing as a US army colonel named "Mike Murdy" on Tinder. The fraudster used AI videos and images, persuading her to send substantial funds under various pretences. And in 2023, an Arizona mother reported that scammers had used AI to replicate her daughter's voice in an attempt to extort $1m (£790,000) from her.
Express Tribune
27-02-2025
- Express Tribune
AI-generated 'girlfriend' scams Chinese man out of £22,000
Listen to article A man in China lost nearly £22,000 to a sophisticated AI dating scam, according to state media reports. The victim, identified only by his surname Liu, was convinced he was in a relationship with a woman named Ms Jiao, who he believed was sending him personalised messages, photos, and videos. Unbeknownst to Liu, Ms Jiao was a fictional character created using generative artificial intelligence. The scammers behind the fake persona manipulated him into sending 200,000 yuan (around £21,722), claiming the money was needed for medical bills and business expenses. A police investigation revealed that the scammers used AI to create convincing photos and videos and even fabricated medical reports to further deceive Liu into believing his 'girlfriend' was in financial distress. Liu never met Ms Jiao in person. AI scams, including those involving romantic relationships, have become a rising concern globally, with fraudsters using technology to create realistic digital personas for financial gain. This incident follows similar AI romance scams in various countries, with other victims losing large sums after being manipulated by AI-generated figures claiming to be celebrities or military personnel. In January, scammers tricked a 53-year-old French woman into believing she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt, ultimately stealing £661,508 from her. The fraudsters used fake messages and AI-generated videos to manipulate her, causing her to divorce her husband and suffer heavy financial losses. In November of the previous year, a British woman in her 60s was scammed out of £19,752 by a fraudster posing as a US army colonel named "Mike Murdy" on Tinder. The scammer used convincing AI videos and images to gain her trust and convince her to send large sums of money under false pretenses. In 2023, an Arizona mother reported that scammers used AI to mimic her daughter's voice in an attempt to extort $1 million (£790,086) from her.
The Independent
27-02-2025
- The Independent
Romance scam victim loses £22,000 to AI ‘girlfriend'
A man in China lost nearly £22,000 to a dating scam after getting into a 'long-distance relationship' with an AI 'girlfriend', state media reported. The man, identified by his surname Liu, thought he was in a relationship with a girl called Ms Jiao, who interacted with and sent him pictures and videos online. Little did the man from Shanghai city know that Ms Jiao was merely a fictional character being used to dupe him out of his money. The scammers used generative artificial intelligence to create the fictional persona of Ms Jiao and then convince Mr Liu that the woman needed money to pay medical bills and fund a business, CCTV News reported. They scammed him out of 200,000 yuan, or about £21,722. A police investigation revealed that the "scammer team' sent Mr Liu 'videos and photos that were all created through AI or made by combining multiple images". They also created fake medical and reports bills to manipulate the victim into believing his 'girlfriend' was in urgent need of financial assistance. 'Throughout the process, Mr Liu never met Ms Jiao in person,' the report noted. AI scams have become a growing global concern, with criminals exploiting the technology to impersonate real individuals or create entirely fictional personas for financial fraud. There have been many AI romance scams in recent years wherein perpetrators create highly realistic digital personas to exploit victims emotionally and financially. In January, scammers stole £6,61,508 from a French woman, 53, after convincing her that she was in a romantic relationship with Hollywood actor Brad Pitt. The scammers used fake messages and AI videos to dupe the woman, leading her to divorce her husband and suffer significant financial loss. In November last year, a British woman in her 60s was conned out of £19,752 by a scammer posing as a US army colonel named "Mike Murdy" on Tinder. The fraudster used realistic AI videos and images to establish credibility, persuading her to send substantial funds under various pretenses. In 2023, an Arizona mother reported that scammers had used AI to replicate her daughter's voice in an attempt to extort $1m (£7,90,086) from her.
