The Qin dynasty commissioned the Terracotta Army near Xi’an as part of Qin Shi Huang’s mausoleum. The underground army was created for Qin Shi Huang, who unified China in 221 BC and became its first emperor.
The figures include infantry, generals, cavalry, horses, chariots, and officials. They were arranged in several large burial pits east of the emperor’s tomb mound. Their purpose was to protect and serve the ruler in the afterlife, reflecting ancient Chinese beliefs about death and imperial power.
Farmers discovered the first major pit in 1974 near Lintong, now part of Xi’an. Archaeologists have found thousands of figures, and many were originally brightly painted. The army is part of a much larger mausoleum complex, not a standalone monument.
A common mix-up is attributing the figures to the Han or Tang dynasties. Qin Shi Huang ruled during the late third century BC, and the mausoleum complex was built during the Qin period.