History
In 246 B.C. a young
prince, of 13 years of age, inherited the throne of the 
Qin
(pronounced Ching) Kingdom. The next twenty-five years of his
life were spent in ruthless battle, in which he, for the first
time in history, unified all of China. Ruling over this feudal
empire he proclaimed himself, Qin Shi Huang Di, becoming the first
Emperor of China. There would be a chain of predesecing emperors
untill the fall of Imperial Dynasties in 1912.
Although Qin Shi
Huang ruled ruthlessley, often withbarbaricmethods, he was also
a leader with remarkable foresight and talent. His list of achievements
are long. He declared a unified code of law, standardized currency,
weights
and measures and was concerned about such incidental details as
standard widths of wagon and chariot axles. In spite of his power
and success, he was victim of several asassination attemps and
lived his life in fear. Obsessed with immortaility, Qin Shi Huang
Di put to work as many as 720,000 laborers for 39 years to build
asubterranean palace were he could spend eternity.
The mausoleum,
the largest imperial tomb in China, covered over 56 square km.
The complex was said to have a flowing river of mercury, jewels
and other treasures buried within, along with traps such as trigger
releasing arrows. 
Unfortunately
little remains of the tombitself, however the most dramatic find
was to be found outside the walls.
When the Emperor
was laid to rest, he had an army of over 8000 warriors to accompany
him. These soldiers are of course the famous Terra Cotta Warriors.
Each a life sized statue totally unique. The entourage included
infantryman, archers, warriors in full armor, generals, along
with teams of horses and chariots. Though their wooden weapons
have long since deteriorated, the 8,000 warriors of Qin Shi Huang
Di's army remain one of the most awe inspiring sights in the world
today
