Olympic Torch in Xian
Yesterday the Beijing Olympic Torch Relay was in Xian, the capital of Shaanxi province.
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| Terracotta Army |
China's Ancient Capital
Xian, formerly known as Chang'an was China's ancient capital and is best known for the Terracotta army -- an 8000-strong underground army buried in front of the Emperor Qinshihuang's tomb to protect him in the afterlife and only discovered by accident in the 1970's.
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| Terracotta Army |
Emperor's Mausoleum
The Emperor's mausoleum is still sealed but some of the clay soldiers are now housed in a nearby museum and are a major tourist draw. The imperial city of Chang'an stood on the old Silk Road and its grid-iron street plan of criss-crossing streets served as the model for other Chinese cities, such as Beijing as well as Kyoto in Japan.
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| Images © Daniel Allen |
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