China torch relay: Xian

By Michael Bristow BBC News, China

The warriors are an archaeological treasure trove (pic courtesy Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Bureau)

They found shards of pottery that would eventually lead to the unearthing of one of the 20th Century's greatest archaeological finds - the terracotta army.

The soldiers - and their horses, chariots and weapons - were buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang, the man who united China for the first time.

With their own facial expressions and hairstyles, each statue was unique, revealing the various ethnic groups that served in the army at the time.

The terracotta warriors have become famous throughout the world, and many visitors to China make their way to Xian to see the soldiers, now housed in an impressive museum.

But perhaps greater treasures still remain to be uncovered, as the former emperor's nearby tomb has yet to be excavated.

Gems

Writing shortly after the tomb was completed, Chinese historian Sima Qian described the huge mausoleum in lavish terms.

CHINA RELAY CITIES IN FOCUS Use the map to see the full Olympic torch relay route or read about some of the key cities: Full route map, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Jinggangshan, Shanghai, Nanjing, Huangshan, Three Gorges, Kaili, Lhasa, Urumqi, Xian, Yanji, Weihai, Qufu, Anyang, Beijing.

He said the emperor was buried in a bronze coffin, inside an underground palace that was studded with precious gems.

The tomb's ceiling was shaped to resemble the sun, moon and stars; below there were representations of rivers, lakes and seas, the historian said.

To deter would-be grave robbers, crossbows were set with arrows that would fire as soon as thieves entered the tomb.

According to records, this mausoleum took an army of 700,000 workmen many years to complete.

Many of these were supposedly entombed with their emperor when the mausoleum was closed for the final time on the emperor's death more than 2,200 years ago.

Mystery

Today all that can be seen of the mausoleum is a small hill, overgrown with vegetation, on the outskirts of modern-day Xian.

The former emperor's treasures are thought to lie beneath, but no-one knows for sure because the Chinese authorities do not want to open it.

The contents of the mausoleum are unknown (pic courtesy Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Bureau)

A spokesman for Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Bureau said: "The Chinese government thinks that after more than 2,000 years the tomb is in a very stable condition.

"This will keep whatever is inside in a very good condition and so the best policy is not to excavate the tomb."

But there are other theories about why China does not want to open the tomb.

Some believe it would be unlucky.

Others think it is best not to disturb the tomb just yet, as today's technology is simply not advanced enough to protect the relics once they are unearthed.

Using modern equipment, there has been recent research on the burial mound in an attempt to determine exactly what lies beneath.

That has led to debate about how to analyse the new information.

But until archaeologists start digging, no one will know for sure if the treasures are really still there.

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