- Title: CHINA: Ancient Chinese clay warriors display at Beijing's Olympic green
- Date: 22nd August 2008
- Summary: TERRACOTTA PUPPET FACE, EYES MOVING MEDIUM SHOT OF THE TERRACOTTA PUPPET PEOPLE LOOKING ON WIDE VIEW OF THE TERRACOTTA PUPPET AND A GIRL PUPPET PEOPLE WATCHING THE PUPPET SHOW
- Embargoed: 6th September 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: China
- Country: China
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA6NI7YNPP04L8PX2CNXIV88Z7N
- Story Text: A touch of ancient Chinese culture meets modern China at Beijing's Olympic green.
In their first appearance outside a museum space, China's most famous clay soldiers have been moved all the way from Xi'an in Shaanxi province to sit near the iconic Olympic structures of the Bird's nest and Watercube.
China's Terracotta army was a form of funerary art which was buried with emperor Qing Shihuang, the very first emperor who united China. Buried under the ground since 200BC, the clay army wasn't found till 1970's when farmers found a clay head while ploughing.
Many tourists were surprised to come across something from 2000 years ago during a modern sporting event.
"These are so magnificent. It's just amazing! I have been to Xi'an but didn't have the opportunity to see it. But today even being here at the exhibition, looking at photos and the exhibition make me feel lucky,"
said Han Chubin came from Beijing's neighbouring province Hebei.
The terracotta warriors have been brought to Beijing by a corporate sponsor seeking to draw crowds into its pavilion on the Olympic green. Having paid thousands of dollars to become corporate sponsors, many companies have complained that too few fans are passing through the Olympic green area where they have set up shop.
Olympic sponsor Johnson&Johnson said it spent two years negotiating with Chinese authorities to get the five clay figures moved to Beijing.
"I'll sleep better when they are back at the museum because I feel like a parent with my kids out late. So when they are sleeping the museum, I'll be very happy," said Owen Rankin, Vice President of Johnson & Johnson's Company Equity and Olympic Sponsorship.
As one of the most enduring symbols of Chinese culture, the terracotta warriors are also being celebrated in various forms at the Olympics. At Beijing's tourist-heavy Millennium Monument, a puppet show featured a giant terracotta warrior, measuring 6.7 metres (22 feet) in height.
The puppet needed a crane and truck to operate and twenty performers had to coordinate perfectly to make the puppet work. The puppet warrior is appearing in 15minutes show four times a day until August 23. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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