Confession: My Name is Ange and I’m a Museum Geek

Yup -- I love museums.

I saw the Terra Cotta Soldier
exhibit in London a few years ago, so I was excited to hear it was traveling to Bower's in Santa Ana.

"The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army - an exploration of one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the twentieth century, giving an insight into China's First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, and his legacy."

There are 12 actual terra cotta soldiers on display; about 100 other pieces from the whole site including roofing, tools, etc. are also on display.

Here are some facts about the Terra Cotta Army:

-The 8,000 soldiers, which were made in 226 B.C. (then found in 1974 by some farmers), were created to guard the tomb of China's First Emperor – the Emperor had it built because he wanted to be protected in the afterlife. In addition to the army, there were over 150 chariots, 500 horses, and so much more that hasn't been uncovered yet.

-700,000 workers built this life-size army in an ENORMOUS catacomb in China. Nobody knows the exact amount of time it took to build.

The emperor has not been excavated yet…one day it'll happen… (this guy that Kim's with is a real guy...walking around...freaking people out with his Terra Cotta Soldier costume)

This is one of the 20^th century's greatest archaeological finds, and often referred to as the Eight Wonder of the Ancient World. This is incredibly fascinating!!!!

I guess I'm a sucker for mysterious monuments and archaeological finds. I love Stonehedge, Easter Island, Roman Baths, Ollantaytambo, Atlantis, the Bermuda Triangle, etc etc etc. I'm SO curious to discover why, when, and how these crazy monuments and wonders began...If you want to see the exhibit it's at the Bower's Museum until Oct 16...check it out here.