Chinese Terracotta Warriors at Sydney Art Gallery

China’s famous terracotta warriors are taking an Australian holiday at The Art Gallery of New South Wales in Sydney.
Villagers found the warriors in Shaanxi province in 1974. It’s believed they were created to protect the tomb of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shihuang, as he made his journey to the afterlife.

The Australian exhibition features many of the complete terracotta warriors alongside more than 120 rare artifacts from Qin Shihuang’s mausoleum. These pieces include weapons, armour, ornaments, pottery, and other historical goodies.

Ordinarily tourists must view these monuments from a distance, in the earthen pits they were first discovered. That makes the opportunity to see them up close and personal pretty tempting.

This is the sort of display that you’d want your kids to see, so the gallery has done its best to make it appealing for young and old visitors. Family tours are led by tomb guardians, and in-house workshops allow kids to design their own warrior breast plates. I’m not sure that it’ll keep them safe in the playground, but making it should be a lot of fun!

As this exhibition is so special it’s not free as so many gallery exhibitions are. However, I think you’ll agree that it’s worth the price of admission. This is the only Aussie stop for the warriors, so if you want to see them make sure you get down to the gallery while they’re in town!

Dates: Until 13 March, 2011
Trading hours: 10 am to 5 pm daily. Late opening on Wednesdays until 9 pm
Location: Art Gallery of New South Wales (map)
Address: Art Gallery Road, The Domain
Public transport: Get off the Sydney Explorer bus at stop 6
Parking: There is limited meter parking on Art Gallery Road and Mrs Macquarie’s Road. Parking also available in the Domain Car Park
Cost: $20 for adults, $15 for concessions and students, $55 for a family pass
Website: http://www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/

Image source: Wikipedia Commons