Latest news with #TerracottaArmy
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
A Tourist Damaged Two Terracotta Warriors at China's Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang
A 30-year-old Chinese tourist damaged two ancient clay warriors from China's terracotta army, local officials said on Saturday, according to Agence France Presse. According to the statement, the tourist was visiting the Mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang in Xi'an, a city in western China that was the capital during several ancient dynasties, when he 'climbed over the guardrail and the protective net and jumped' more than 15 feet into Pit No. 3 on Friday. More from Robb Report Inside a $20 Million L.A. Home Designed by Pritzker Prize-Winning Architect Oscar Niemeyer Mount Gay Just Dropped a Fantastic New Rum Aged Entirely in Cognac Casks Chevy's C8 Corvette ZR1 Supercar Is Even Faster Than It Expected The man then 'pushed and pulled' the clay warriors, leading to 'varying degrees' of damage, before he was restrained by security, according to the statement. Video footage was captured just moments after the incident, with the suspect lying on the ground among the collapsed warriors. Authorities said they believe the man suffers from metal illness, though the case is still currently under investigation. Following the event, the display reportedly reopened on Saturday. This is hardly the first controversy surrounding the famous statues. In 2023, a man accepted a plea deal after stealing a thumb from one of the terracotta warriors, many of which were on display at the Franklin Museum in Philadelphia at the time of the theft in 2017. The Terracotta Army was created to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife around 209 BCE. It is the only known collection of military sculptures produced en masse in the world. As the country's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang unified China with an army of more than 500,000 men. To construct the Terracotta Army and mausoleum, researchers believe it took 700,000 laborers a span of 30 to 40 years to complete. Since the army was first discovered by local farmers in 1974, achaeologists have found roughly 8,000 statues from the army, all of them constructed using exact measurements per their military ranks, with generals being taller than soldiers, standing at an average height of 5 feet 8 inches. The mausoleum has been an UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987. In 2022, with excavations still ongoing, 20 warriors were newly found near the Chinese emperor's secret tomb and added to the count. Best of Robb Report The 10 Priciest Neighborhoods in America (And How They Got to Be That Way) In Pictures: Most Expensive Properties Click here to read the full article.
Daily Mirror
19 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Moment tourist jumps into ancient world heritage site smashing priceless statues
A holidaymaker was filmed after throwing himself into a pit holding the ancient Terracotta Army in China sparking outrage as he damaged two clay statues before being detained Shocking footage has captured the moment a tourist jumped over railings at the world famous Terracotta Army display and damaged two of the ancient statues causing outrage. The man, who has been identified only by his surname Sun, leapt into the 18ft deep pit which houses the clay statues in Xi'an, China, on May 30. The 30-year-old then was seen pushing the statues before being detained by museum security. The Chinese authorities reportedly said Sun suffers from a mental illness and an investigation will be carried out into the event which left fellow visitors to the iconic site in shock. Footage on social media showed him lying on the ground in the pit and then rolling about in apparent pain while other visitors in the background looked on in horror at the damage he had caused. A statement from public security officials said Sun "climbed over the guardrail and the protective net and jumped". He then "pushed and pulled" the clay warriors and two were "damaged to varying degrees". Local officials are now assessing the damage caused. Despite the incident, the exhibit remains open to the public as normal this week but an investigation is underway into how the man was able to cause the damage. The Terracotta Army, which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, is considered one of China's greatest archaeological treasures. It consists of over 8,000 life-sized soldiers created 2,000 years ago in an elaborate city-sized compound to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang - China's first emperor. The city was built to provide Qin with everything he would need for the afterlife following his death at the age of 49 in 210 BC. When the site was found, the terracotta soldiers were emblazoned with bright and bold colours, but due to the sudden change in atmosphere when the city was reopened, their colours faded. This latest incident comes after a man was detained for causing damage to an ancient throne in Vietnam last month. The suspect, named as 42-year-old Ho Van Phuong Tam, broke into the Nguyen dynasty throne exhibit on May 25. A statement from the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC) said Tam "snuck into the Nguyen dynasty display area, screamed and then broke the front left armrest". Local media claims he bought a ticket to the exhibit before climbing into the roped-off area. Footage shows him sitting cross-legged on the ancient throne, reported the Express. Tam was quickly arrested by the HMCC said he showed "signs of psychosis, screaming, and talking nonsense". He reportedly could "not answer the investigator's questions."
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
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. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Tourist jumps into Terracotta Army clay warriors and damages statues in China
A tourist in China jumped into a section of the world-famous Terracotta Army - damaging two of the ancient clay statues. The 30-year-old man, identified only by his surname Sun, launched himself over guardrails and a protective netting at the museum housing the clay warriors, in the city of Xi'an, on Friday. He reportedly began pushing and pulling the priceless statues, resulting in visible damage to two of the figures. Museum security quickly intervened and subdued the intruder. Authorities say Sun suffers from a mental illness and confirmed that an investigation is currently underway following the incident. The pit he leapt into is 18ft deep - raising serious concerns about how he managed to breach safety measures. The Terracotta Army is a collection of more than 8,000 life-sized soldiers created 2,000 years ago to guard the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. It is regarded as one of the country's greatest archaeological treasures. The Terracotta Army site has held UNESCO World Heritage status since 1987 and draws millions of visitors each year. The figures, dating from approximately the late 200s BCE, were discovered on March 29, 1974, by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi'an, Shaanxi, China. They vary in height according to their rank, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, and horses. Estimates from 2007 were that the three pits containing the Terracotta Army hold more than 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses, and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which remain in the pits near Qin Shi mausoleum. Other, non-military terracotta figures have since been found in other pits, including those of officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Over the past 50 years, archaeologists have located some 600 pits, a complex of underground vaults, across a 22sq mile area. In one long columns of warriors, reassembled from broken pieces, stand in formation, dressed in tunics or armored vests and wearing their hair in buns. Another pit within the museum demonstrated how they appeared when they were found. Some stand upright, buried shoulder-deep in soil, while others lie toppled on their backs alongside cracked clay horses. The site ranks with the Great Wall and Beijing's forbidden City, as one of China's most popular tourist attractions. A museum staff member revealed that the exhibit remains open to the public as normal, with officials working swiftly to assess and repair the damage caused by the man.
Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Shock moment tourist jumps railing and plunges 18ft into Terracotta Army pit before smashing two priceless statues
THIS is the shocking moment a tourist jumps a railing around the famous Terracotta Army and smashes up two of the priceless statues. The 30-year-old visitor leapt over the guard rail surrounding the clay warrior figures at a museum in the city of Xi'An on Friday. 5 The tourist leapt down into the 18ft-deep pit, landing amongst Terracotta Army warriors Credit: News Flare 5 Two statues can be seen knocked over and damaged Credit: News Flare 5 The man, identified as 30-year-old Sun, is said to suffer from mental health problems Credit: News Flare Footage shows the aftermath of his jump and senseless destruction of the 2000-year-old artefacts. He can be seen lying on his back and rolling around - apparently in pain - at the bottom of an 18ft-deep pit. The alleged vandal is leaning against one of the ancient statues as alarmed onlookers peer down into the pit. Another angle shows the devastating extent of the damage to the statues. read more in world news WEB OF DESTRUCTION Inside Ukraine's SAS-style 'Spiderweb' blitz step by incredible step Two have been knocked over and lie in pieces on the floor after the man "pushed and pulled" the clay figures. They can clearly be seen to have crumbled in part - with officials reporting they were damaged to "varying degrees". Security guards for the museum quickly stepped in to grab the intruder before he inflicted more damage. Authorities said the man, identified only by his surname Sun, suffers from mental health problems. They also confirmed an investigation has been launched into the circumstances surrounding the incident. Concerns have been raised about how Sun managed to breach the security measures - consisting of a railing protective net - to plunge into the deep pit. Dramatic moment gang blow up museum door & steal 2,500-year-old Golden Helmet in Ocean's 11-style heist before vanishing Despite the intrusion, museum staff confirmed that the Xi'An exhibition remains open to the public. In 2017, an American man admitted to stealing a thumb from one of the terracotta warriors while it was on exhibition in Pennsylvania. Michael Rohana, in his early 20s, snapped it off when it was on display at the Franklin Institute museum. In that case, the statue was estimated to be worth $4.5million. 5 The clay figures were discovered buried underground 50 years ago Credit: �2024 Netflix, Inc. 5 The sculptures are based on the army of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang Credit: Getty By that figure, the damage inflicted by the rogue tourist in Xi'An could amount to a whopping $9million, if the statues are ruined. Rohana was acquitted after his prosecution ended in a mistrial. His lawyer successfully argued that he was wrongly charged under laws that usually apply to major museum thefts. Surveillance footage had captured him "clowning around" with the statues and taking selfies, before appearing to break something from one before leaving. Museum staff noticed the missing thumb the following month and contacted the FBI. They later traced the thumb to Rohana, who admitted he had kept the thumb in a desk drawer.
