Travelling Vicariously Again

Terracotta Army

My sister and brother (and his wife) are on a cruise to China. They shared photos of the 2200 year old Terracotta Army in Xian, China. Some 8000 terracotta soldiers were discovered in 1974 when farmers were digging a well. China's first emperor Qin, a harsh dictator, had ordered them made by slaves to accompany him in death. It is an elaborate mausoleum considered one of the greatest archaelogical sites in the world. Emperor Qin unified China, standardized its weights and measures, monetary, economic, legal and political systems. He built The Great Wall. His son had all the 700,000 artisans and workers buried alive to keep the location of the tomb a secret. Here is an interesting link if you want more details.

And let us commemorate the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States.