The Majesty of All Under Heaven

In celebration of the 15th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong in 1997, a very special exhibit was prepared and is now on display through November. The Majesty of All Under Heaven - The Eternal Realm of China's First Emperor is both an interactive and traditional exhibit featuring artifacts from the Qin Dynasty. The most famous of these artifacts are the terra cotta warriors and this display has the largest number ever exhibited outside of the mainland.

The exhibit actually begins even before you enter the museum. The plaza outside has a pit mural on display.

The steps up to the plaza depict one of the pits and along the garden walls small "digs" show warriors emerging from their hidden graves.

There are even some kiddie sized warriors for the little ones to enjoy.

Once you enter the exhibit hall you are completely captivated. The first area is the interactive section where you find yourself in a wall scene with a small warrior beckoning you. Once you figure out that he wants you to stand on footprints on the floor, he grows and interacts with you. There are three such scenes and also information on the history of the warriors, the Qin people and their association with horses. The next room is a holographic tour of the dig and the pits where the warriors were created in the tomb of Qin Shihuang some 2200 years ago. 

The artifacts section of the exhibit displays the cultural relics and is most impressive. There are over 150 items on display and when you consider the age of these pieces (from around 221 B.C.) the craftsmanship and materials boggles the mind. Among my favorite pieces were a bell from a set of five used to herald announcements, a belt buckle made of gold and featuring a dragon and a filagree pot that is truly beautiful.

There is an actual skull on exhibit and if you look closely you can see a bronze arrow tip embedded in the left jaw.

There are many warriors on display but with the glass and the lighting getting good clear photos is a challenge. One thing that immediately catches attention is the fact that there are so many different poses and "looks" to the men. Many wear armor and it too is made from clay. Each suit of armor is comprised of individual squares chained together. I cannot fathom the work that went into even one of these warriors. Creating over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses along with other non military figures is said to have involved over 700,000 workers.

One of the surprises in this exhibit is the creation of the emperor's staff (housed in a separate pit) and all of the additional animals and birds.

Another featured piece in the exhibit is a bronze chariot and horses to carry the Emperor in the afterlife. This piece is less than life sized but that does not make it any less impressive.

The figures were manufactured in workshops and built in assembly line fashion with individual facial features added after construction. Once constructed, expressions and other details were added. One display shows a depiction of one of these workshops. I especially like the area where the heads are attached. 

By looking at the faces closely you can see how individualized these warriors are.

And best of all, I will be seeing this exhibit again when my company arrives in a few weeks.