Tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huang

The tomb of emperor Qin Shi Huang is located just outside Xi'an near the excavated pits of the Terracotta Warriors. The Warriors were meant to protect the emperor in the afterlife. Unfortunately there are only two small pits next to the tomb of Qin Shi Huang that were excavated. While excavations were underway, mercury was found in the ground. As it is poisonous, I don't know of any present plans to dig further at this point. There is little to see on the site, but if you traveled all the way out to the countryside of Xi'an to see the Terracotta Warriors, it's worth the extra time to look around. 

To get to the mausoleum, there is a bus just outside the museum of the Terracotta Warriors. You can pay 5 yuan for a round trip bus ticket to drive you down the street to the entrance of the site. Once inside, it is a distance to walk. There are bicycles to rent by the half hour or you can pay for the tram service. The tram costs 15 yuan for a ticket and will drop you off at each of the pits. I arrived during the off season so there was not a regular tram service. I basically had my own driver to take me around to the sites. He dropped me off at each pit and waited for me to finish before driving me to the next stop. There is a lot of walking and it's mostly on a hill. For me the tram was an excellent choice. 

Inside the pit there isn't a lot to see. However there are two statues on display that are believed to represent acrobats.

Inside you're not supposed to take pictures of the pits. As I was the only person there, the guards were completely uninterested in anything I was doing and the pits were empty (so I wouldn't damage anything with my flash), I took a few illegal photos. This is what it looks like from the inside.

 

When you travel do you see everything you can or do you just visit the sites on your must see list?