Which World Heritage Site in China contains thousands of life-sized terracotta soldiers?

The World Heritage Site in China containing thousands of life-sized terracotta soldiers is the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.

The complex near Xi’an was created for Qin Shi Huang, the ruler who unified China in 221 BCE and became its first emperor. The mausoleum was designed as an underground version of the imperial realm, with the emperor’s tomb mound at its center and separate pits containing soldiers, horses, chariots, weapons, officials, entertainers, and other figures.

Farmers digging a well in Xiyang village discovered the first fragments in March 1974. Archaeologists soon identified three major warrior pits. Excavations across the main area produced roughly 7,000 terracotta warriors and horses, along with bronze weapons and chariots. The figures are individually detailed, with varying faces, hairstyles, uniforms, and ranks.

The emperor’s central tomb chamber remains largely unexcavated, partly because of preservation and safety concerns. The Terracotta Army is therefore a major component of the mausoleum complex, not the official name of the entire World Heritage property. UNESCO listed the mausoleum, including the Terracotta Army, in 1987.