If China's first emperor, Qinshihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), were still alive, he might notice that some elements of his underground army have left their Terracotta Warrior comrades this week.
A newly built museum designed to exhibit the bronze chariots and horses excavated from the emperor's mausoleum will open to the public in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on May 18. The artifacts had been moved there by Wednesday.
The idea is to highlight the objects' historical value and enable tourists to more easily and clearly understand the period. Previously, the chariots and horses were exhibited in a showroom of the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum and not far from the renowned Terracotta Warriors, where tourist traffic was heavy. The new museum is expected to ease congestion.
During this year's May Day holiday, the mausoleum site museum received 299,342 visits.
