Featured Image Credit: NurPhoto / Contributor via Getty
A shocking incident at one of China’s most treasured heritage sites has been caught on film.
Two ancient statues from the famous Terracotta Army thought to be around 2,000 years old, were damaged after a tourist climbed over a museum fence.
The Terracotta Army is one of China's most iconic archaeological discoveries. Unearthed in 1974 by farmers in Lintong County near Xi’an, the life-sized clay soldiers were built to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, China’s first emperor, dating back to the late 3rd century BCE.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, the Terracotta Army Museum includes over 8,000 life-sized figures, drawing in millions of visitors each year.
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The museum was constructed over top of the discovery to display the national treasure to the public and currently ranks as one of China's most popular tourist attractions, alongside the Great Wall and Beijing's Forbidden City.
Now, questions are being raised about the museum's security after a man managed to leap over the guardrails and safety netting where the army was based. Once inside the 18ft pit, the man, identified only by his surname Sun, reportedly 'pushed and pulled' the priceless clay warriors.
Two of the figures were 'damaged to varying degrees' before the museum security was able to subdue and remove the intruder.
In the footage on social media, Sun was filmed lying down on the ground, holding his arms over his head, while rolling around in apparent pain. Visitors in the background can be heard watching in shock and horror, watching the damage he had caused. Authorities later confirmed that Sun 'suffers from mental illness' and an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Across three pits, archaeologists identified 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses in the army - the majority of which remain in the pits near Qin Shi mausoleum.
Even more surprisingly, non-military figures have since been found in other pits, including acrobats, strongmen and musicians.
Over the past 50 years, archaeologists have located over 600 pits across a 22-square-mile area. In one pit, long columns of warriors that were reassembled from broken pieces stand in formation. Each member can be seen dressed in tunics or armoured vests.
Another pit illustrates how the figures looked at the time of discovery, either still standing or fallen on their backs.
Museum officials are still assessing the full extent of the damage caused by the intruder. However, despite the incident, the exhibit remains open to the public while restoration work begins.
