Historic Site · Xi'an, China
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. Built c. 249 BC.
Photo: xiquinhosilva via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0. Cropped and resized for display.
Landmark facts
| Location | Xi'an, China |
|---|---|
| Type | Historic Site |
| Built | c. 249 BC |
| Coordinates | 34.3850° N, 109.2731° E |
Every fact above is taken from the sources listed below; anything no source states is left blank rather than guessed.
What Terracotta Army is known for
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.
About Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE in his mausoleum with the purpose of protecting him in his afterlife. The figures, dating from approximately the late 200s BCE, were discovered in 1974 by local farmers in Lintong County, outside Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.
History
The construction of the tomb was described by the historian Sima Qian (145–90 BCE) in the Records of the Grand Historian, the first of China's 24 dynastic histories, which was written a century after the mausoleum's completion. Work on the mausoleum began in 246 BCE, soon after Emperor Qin (then aged 13) succeeded his father as King of Qin, and Sima said that the project eventually involved 700,000 conscripted workers. Geographer Li Daoyuan, writing six centuries after the first emperor's death, recorded in Shui Jing Zhu that Mount Li was a favoured location due to its auspicious geology: "famed for its jade mines, its northern side was rich in gold, and its southern side rich in beautiful jade; the first emperor, covetous of its fine reputation, therefore chose to be buried there".
Planning a visit? Visit the official Terracotta Army website — the official site has the current visiting information.
How to get there
| Nearest town | Xi'an |
|---|---|
| Nearest airport | Xiguan Airport (SIA) |
| Distance from the airport | 29.6 miles (straight line) |
Nearest major airport by straight-line distance from the landmark’s coordinates; road distance will be longer.
Airports near this landmark
The airports a visitor would actually fly into, nearest first — each link opens its profile on our sister site AirportProfiles.
- Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) · Xi'an, China · 29.4 miles away
- Yuncheng Yanhu International Airport (YCU) · Yuncheng (Yanhu), China · 112.1 miles away
Landmarks nearby
The closest landmarks in this library, by straight-line distance.
More landmarks in China
More historic sites
Frequently asked questions
What is Terracotta Army?
The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China.
Where is Terracotta Army located?
Terracotta Army is in Xi'an, China. Its coordinates are 34.3850° N, 109.2731° E.
How do I get to Terracotta Army?
The nearest town is Xi'an, and the nearest airport is Xiguan Airport (SIA), about 29.6 miles away (straight line).
When was Terracotta Army built?
Terracotta Army was built c. 249 BC.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terracotta_Army — Wikipedia article — overview, history and core facts (CC BY-SA).
- https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q47672 — Wikidata — built year, architect, height/size, visitors, official website (CC0).
- https://bmy.com.cn — Official website of the landmark / managing body.
- https://github.com/jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports — Nearest major airport computed from landmark and airport coordinates (haversine); airport list: jbrooksuk/JSON-Airports.
Page last updated 13 November 2026.