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Website links to
Beifan Associates
Xian Homepage.
Places to go and see.
Beifan.com
Metcn8.com.
Beifanchina.com.
Chinadan.com
Photos of Dragons.
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Terracotta Army Discovered By Farmer Puts Xian On The World Map.
From the moment that news was released about the farmer discovering the Terracotta Army in Xian, the warriors became of interest to the historians. As more details of the Xian Warriors became available, the site became of interest to the tourists. As more tourists began to visit Xian to see for themselves this historic discovery, the people of Xian began to reap some of the benefits by serving the needs of visitors. The actual site of discovery is now protected by an exhibition hall, where careful excavation has revealed the arrays of the Xian Warriors of the Terra Cotta Army, including Warriors on horse-driven chariots. At the times of our visits, taking photographs inside the hall was discouraged, but there were some of the Terracotta Warriors encased in glass cabinets in the entrance lobby, that visitors could photograph.
In the grounds outside the gates to the Warriors Exhibition Hall was evidence that the discovery of the Terra Cotta Army would bring some benefit to the local people. Open market stalls had on offer a wide selection of goods to tempt the much needed Chinese Yuan, American Dollar, or any other hard currency, out of the pockets of the visiting tourists. To approach the main stalls selling models of the Terra Cotta Army was a deafening experience, with the stallholders competing with each other for the attention of the tourists.
Xian People Selling Goods Near Exhibition Hall Of Terra Cotta Warriors.
Would you like to buy a model of a Terra Cotta Warrior? Besides the main stalls selling hundreds of models of the Terra Cotta Warriors, in many different sizes and in different postures, there were also individual hawkers, wandering around the outside market stalls, or near to the area where all the coaches were parked, hoping to sell the few models that they had to offer. Some of these models would have been sun dried and painted, others would have been bought from the main stalls, with a small price markup, hoping to sell at a profit.
Other stallholders in the area were displaying a variety of goods, from a small selection of fresh fruits, to a large collection of animal furs. Some stallholders had set up outdoor cooking facilities to supply freshly cooked food to hungry visitors. One cook was handmaking noodles, by stretching, folding, and swinging dough with much skill. When I was observed trying to take a photograph, he signalled that he would expect a fee! A white haired farmer at another stall had on display small quantities of some chestnuts, apples, pears, and pomegranates. The photo shows the farmer using a balance scale to weigh two pomegranates for a customer. Even a peasant farmer gained some benfit from the discovery of the Terra Cotta Warriors at Xian.
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