China's terracotta warriors on display in Chicago

People take in the terracotta warriors display at the Field Museum in Chicago, March 1, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

"China's First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors" exhibition opened in Chicago on Tuesday, featuring artifacts and antiques from China's Qin Dynasty more than 2000 years ago.

The exhibition, scheduled for 10 months at the Field Museum, aims to introduce visitors to Qin Dynasty, when China's first Emperor Qin Shihuang established a unified state and built an army to last an eternity.

The largest terracotta warrior exhibition held in North America in recent years showcases more than 170 objects including bronze artifacts, weaponry, and 10 famed terracotta figures.

About 30 students from Lincoln Hall Middle School in Lincolnwood were lucky enough to become the first batch of visitors to this wonder-of-the-world exhibition.

Though Qin Shihuang's reign was relatively short, his innovations have left treasures in China. He built the "Great Wall" to protect his empire, constructed new roads and canals, and introduced a single currency, a standard form of writing and a standardized system of weights and measures.

Visitors can have a glimpse of these innovations from the pottery, bronze weapons and utensils, gold artifacts, jade handicrafts, coins, inscribed weights, stone armor, and certainly the terracotta warriors displayed at the exhibition.

The highlight of the exhibition is the 10 terracotta warriors. Unknown to most people, the terracotta army was not exclusively warriors, but also contained civil officials and acrobats, said Zhou Kuiying, deputy director general of Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Relics Bureau, who added that the First Emperor created a whole kingdom to rule in the afterlife.

The figures of a civil official and an acrobat are also at the exhibition.

A terracotta general is especially eye-catching as he is the tallest figure in the terracotta army, close to a foot (0.3 meters) taller than the average man at the time. A kneeling archer displayed here is also rare.

There are altogether seven terracotta generals unearthed at the Emperor's final resting place, and all of them have a unique appearance.

Gary Feinman, MacAuthur curator of anthropology/integrative research center, marveled at the exquisiteness of a small golden tiger and a necklace made of jade and agate from the Spring and Autumn Period.

"It is extremely rich culture and extremely great history," he told Xinhua.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, President and CEO of Field Museum Richard Lariviere said: "It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we are proud to share with you."

China Consul General Zhao Weiping said the terracotta warriors not only represent the splendid Chinese ancient civilization, but also reflect the great wisdom and artistic talent of mankind 2000 years ago.

This is not the first time for the Field Museum to host a terracotta warriors exhibition. The museum exhibited several terracotta warriors from China in 1980.