soliders

so i won't explain the terracotta soliders much except to say that they were originally over 6,000 of them and Mr. Qin Shi Huang (China's first real emperor) had them built in 221-207 BC in order to guard him and his tomb in the hereafter. they were discovered in the late 1970s and the farmer who first pulled a head of one from a well was paid a handsome sum of 30 yuan for his efforts (about $4.50 us).

once Mr. Wang (the farmer) discovered the guys the CCP reclaimed the land, that was already theirs, and began excavating the area. since then they have built a fully equipped tourist viewing complex the largest of which is about the size of a football field. i always like visiting one of the 7 wonders of the world, but never again during Chinese holiday.

again, LOTS of people everywhere. herding, herding, pushing, shoving, elbowing, stepping on toes, squishing between each other, violating my personal space bubble over and over, sweating, pushing, elbowing - that about sums up my experience at the solider's home this time around.

at the enterance to complex 1 hangs a sign forbidding the use of flash or tripods when taking pictures - since everyone else ignored the sign, and the guards just looked on, i freely used my flash and got several good shots. after standing my ground at the railing for as long as i could stand it, i finally had had enough and went outside to breathe some un-recycled air and have sit where no one would push me off my place. there are 3 complexes of the excavation and 1 museum. seeing the displays was difficult given the crowds so we eventually just ended up outside.

before you enter the complex there are several women in nice purple suits offering to guide you around and give a tour (for as small sum of course). one of these fine ladies was standing off to the side of a doorway and i had a quesiton that i can now not remember. she enthusiastically answered it and before i knew it was on a tour! she mentioned that Mr. farmer Wang - yes! THE guy that found the soliders - was that very day signing books in the book store.

this peaked our interest so she dragged us over there, telling us all about the soliders, all about Mr. Wang and how he used to have dark hair, but now he had turned grey. he had met Pres. Clinton when Clinton visited China, we could look at the guy, but we couldn't take photos.... etc etc.

when we walked into the bookstore a mob of people were pressed up against the table behind which sat Mr. Wang, with a helper on either side of him. as promised he was elderly. there he sat while hoards of people squished, pushed and elbowed to catch a look. he leisurely smoked a long pipe while open books were put in front of him to sign. a large photo of him shaking Clinton's hand hung behind him for all to see as a verification that this was indeed "the man."

our newly non-hired tour guide swept us over to the side of the table where stacks of books and postcards were being sold - and if you bought the package for 200 yuan ($30.00) Mr. Wang would sign your copy. my friend, Chris, didn't want a chinese copy of the book as - well she couldn't read it - so i was trying to figure out how we could get an English copy for her. they didn't have English copies in the stack and the mob was getting anxious. as i'm trying to figure out how to get an English copy, ms. tour guide is telling me to just buy a Chinese copy and swap it in the bookstore, (which i had my doubts could would happen), the woman selling the books starts yelling at ms. tour guide and the crowd starts squishing me up against the table - all the while Mr. Wang sits behind the table with all the space in world smoking his long pipe and signing if he feels like it.

finally, i had had enough, i shoved my way backwards through the crowd and tried to ditch ms. tour guide. it didn't take long before she found us - since were some of the few foreigners around. "follow me! follow me - i'll help you get an English book then he can sign it" and she headed towards the book store thinking we would follow. chris and i followed her about 10 steps then took a sharp right into the crowds and out the door. not only do think she was going to later tell us that we owed her a tour fee, but i believe she was getting some kind of kick back from the book sales.

i sat on the ledge of a flower garden while chris took a deep breath, waited long enough for ms. tour guide to fade away and then plunged back in to find the english copy and get a signature. while sitting on the ledge i started a conversation with the Chinese guy next to me about life and where he was from, etc. of course the topic turned to Mr. Wang and this lucrative practice of signing books. my new friend told me that since the soliders had become so popular the government took good care of Mr. Wang, as they should. then he said "but i have my doubts if that's even the real guy." i asked him why he felt this way, he didn't have a solid reason, just that it was possible and most likely.

chris made it out alive with an English copy of the book and a large illegible signature in the front of her book. at that point we were done with crowds and needed a bathroom. after looking at the map and doing some deductive logic we decided to head for the bathroom on the further most reaches of the complex next to the movie house. for once we actually outsmarted the crowds as no one was there and we didn't have to wait in yet another line (or mash into a crowd).

after taking care of business we wandering into the movie depicting the soldiers, their creation and eventual demise that is shown in a round-about movie theater. it was actually one of the best parts of the whole day. coming out of the movie we were funneled, not surprisingly, through the gift shop. it was time for an ice cream so i rewarded myself with one. when i asked the very bored, and not so service minded service lady where a garbage can was she pointed down to the floor behind the counter. then i asked her if she could help me throw away my ice cream cone paper, she said no, it's his - and pointed to some guy sitting next to her. (wouldn't it be nice to have a garbage can dedicated only for your personal use?)

i hadn't noticed the fellow before so i looked over and there sat an elderly Chinese guy and on the wall above him was a photo of him motioning to the soldiers in the background. not one person was talking to him, or near his table but there were plenty other people like myself looking at him wondering what it all meant. i asked the "service" lady who he was. "He's the guy that discovered the soldiers." i then said "I thought that guy was over in the bookstore signing books." she held up her hand, all fingers showing, "There were 5 of them." huh, but he hadn't shook Clinton's hand otherwise there would have been a photo ~ so it seems that Mr. Wang has several friends who also come around and sign books for 100 yuan a pop. just as long as you are an old Chinese guy with a photo of you and the soldiers it seems there is some cash to be made. i'm forever amazed at the enterprising spirit of the Chinese, even at some of their most prominent National tourist attractions.