The Terracotta Warriors are in Singapore

This post is dedicated to page owners and fans of I Love Museums.

There is an noteworthy exhibition in Singapore. It is the first exhibition of actual terracotta warriors to be held in Singapore. These terracotta artefacts were buried near the tomb of the First Emperor of China.

In this exhibition, one can also look forward to appreciating bronze and jade items from the Qin state before the time of the First Emperor, Shi Huangdi. In addition, visitors could also view burial objects from the Han dynasty.

A replica of the bronze chariot discovered on the west side of the First Emperor's tomb.
The original chariots are  too fragile to travel.

This is a terracotta of a kneeling archer from the Qin dynasty. I learnt from this exhibition that archery was one of the 'six noble arts' as well as a basic skill that was required of all soldiers during the Qin dynasty.

Upper shelf, from left to right: Washer (yi), Kettle (he).
Lower shelf: Chu-styled vessel (ding), Steamer (yan).

A glimpse of the exhibition hall.

Painted earthenware depicting soldiers with shields from Western Han dynasty.

Compared to the terracotta warriors from the Qin dynasty, the burial objects from the Han dynasty was  more modest in size and in its design.

I sensed an obsession with the afterlife during my visit to this exhibition. The exhibition has also given me a glimpse of the culture of the Qin people. There are exhibition panels printed in both English and Chinese. Somehow, I felt somewhat compelled to brush up on my command of Mandarin and knowledge of Chinese history after visiting this exhibition. There is so much depth to the Chinese culture and history that I have yet to learn!

Due to time constraints, I could only have a one-hour quick tour of this exhibition. I shall make time to visit this exhibition again, and to attend one of the guided tours. I have always found the guided tours given by the docents to be enriching.


Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor and His Legacy
24 Jun 2011 - 16 Oct 2011
At the Special Exhibitions Gallery, ACM Empress Place
Opening hours: Mon: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m., Tue - Sun: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. (to 9 p.m. on Fridays)

Information on the admission charges is available here: http://www.acm.org.sg/visitor_info/admission_charges.asp