Famed Chinese Warriors Go On Show In London

China's terracotta army is set to invade Britain on Thursday as the famous warriors go on show in London.

The British Museum is hosting "The First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" until April 6 and advance ticket sales are already breaking box office records, according to The Times newspaper.

After years of careful planning and negotiations, about a dozen warriors are set to go on show. Around 100,000 tickets have already been sold and the exhibition could outstrip the Tutenkhamun display in the 1970s, seen by 1.7 million people.

The terracotta warriors will be shown alongside more than 100 other objects to form the most important exhibition relating to China's first emperor, Qin Shihuan (259-210 BC), ever seen outside the soldiers' homeland.

The army, accidentally discovered by two farmers in 1974, was built to protect Qin's mausoleum.

"This man changed history. This man made China, created the idea of China, the oldest political entity that still survives in the world," said British Museum director Neil MacGregor. He was one of the great leaders in history, such as Alexander, Caesar and Frederick the Great, and one of the greatest administrative organisers of all time."

A full programme of events is surrounding the exhibition, including films, talks, lectures, festivals, craftwork, poetry, calligraphy, family events and workshops. Full price tickets cost 12 pounds. (Independent Online)
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