Terracotta non-combatants boost tourism
Source: Xinhua |
January 7, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AN exhibition of recently excavated terracotta figures, escorting the first Chinese emperor, has helped attract record numbers of tourists to the inland province of Shaanxi, new figures show.
Last year, the province recorded a record figure of 184 million tourists, together with the highest ever annual income from tourism.
The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qinshihuang, near Xi'an, put on display terracotta figures of acrobats, strongmen and dancers dating back 2,200 years, in the 3,000-square-meter exhibit area near the first imperial tomb.
The museum was visited in 2011 by 5.27 million overseas tourists - an increase of 31 percent year on year.
During 10 years of excavation and research, archaeologists unearthed these figures that, unlike warriors discovered before, wore no armor, helmets or other warlike accoutrements.
Instead, they appeared to be entertainers for the royal circle - dancing, wrestling and performing acrobatics, often stripped to the waist.
Zhang Weixing, head of the museum's archaeological arm, expects more fascinating finds to be unearthed in the ongoing second excavation.
The terracotta figures brought in a large chunk of the province's 2011 ticket income of 480 million yuan (US$76.2 million).
The Shaanxi tourism bureau said yesterday that the northwestern province earned 126.5 billion yuan from tourism in 2011, one tenth of its gross domestic product.
Shaanxi is famed for not only the terracotta warriors - which constitute the basis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage site status - but also for imperial relics, a Buddhist temple and nature reserves.
"We are eager to show the world the splendid heritage and culture of the Chinese nation," said Dong Xianmin, who heads the provincial tourism bureau.
Many world politicians and dignitaries, including Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II and Helmut Kohl, have visited Shaanxi and seen the terracotta figures.
National Tourism Administration figures show that China saw 134 million overseas tourist visits and 2.1 billion domestic visits in 2010, earning 1.57 trillion yuan for the tourism industry.
Last year, the province recorded a record figure of 184 million tourists, together with the highest ever annual income from tourism.
The Museum of Terracotta Warriors and Horses of Emperor Qinshihuang, near Xi'an, put on display terracotta figures of acrobats, strongmen and dancers dating back 2,200 years, in the 3,000-square-meter exhibit area near the first imperial tomb.
The museum was visited in 2011 by 5.27 million overseas tourists - an increase of 31 percent year on year.
During 10 years of excavation and research, archaeologists unearthed these figures that, unlike warriors discovered before, wore no armor, helmets or other warlike accoutrements.
Instead, they appeared to be entertainers for the royal circle - dancing, wrestling and performing acrobatics, often stripped to the waist.
Zhang Weixing, head of the museum's archaeological arm, expects more fascinating finds to be unearthed in the ongoing second excavation.
The terracotta figures brought in a large chunk of the province's 2011 ticket income of 480 million yuan (US$76.2 million).
The Shaanxi tourism bureau said yesterday that the northwestern province earned 126.5 billion yuan from tourism in 2011, one tenth of its gross domestic product.
Shaanxi is famed for not only the terracotta warriors - which constitute the basis of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage site status - but also for imperial relics, a Buddhist temple and nature reserves.
"We are eager to show the world the splendid heritage and culture of the Chinese nation," said Dong Xianmin, who heads the provincial tourism bureau.
Many world politicians and dignitaries, including Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II and Helmut Kohl, have visited Shaanxi and seen the terracotta figures.
National Tourism Administration figures show that China saw 134 million overseas tourist visits and 2.1 billion domestic visits in 2010, earning 1.57 trillion yuan for the tourism industry.
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