Tomb of Emperor Jingdi(Hanyangling)

Reviews on the Tomb of Emperor Jingdi(Hanyangling)

Visitor 1: “Interesting and Well Done”
Like a mini version of The Terracotta Warriors…all the warriors and animals here are in miniature and made by molds, not individually as the Qin warriors are. A fairly impressive (air conditioned) under ground facility with glass floors so you basically walk over the top of the artifacts. A nice compliment to the ‘real deal’ of the Terracotta Warriors.

Visitor 2: “Well worth a visit”
Loved how close you could get to the artifacts. When we visited, there were very few people so you could really take your time to look at everything. Compared to the 1000’s of people taking in the Terra Cotta Warriors (a must-do), this is also a fantastic attraction.

Visitor 3: “The nice place to go”
we can see the ancient things by the glass and i like the movie there so much This museum is on the way to airport ,maybe it’s quite convient to visit beofre you leave Xian or just after you arrived Xian and i suggest you to read something about Han Dynasty and Silk road before you go there and i like the ancient clothes style there too, most museum guide dress that and it’s China traditional clothes.

Visitor 4: “Loved the glass floors – up close and intimate”
One to do as well as, rather than instead of, the terracotta warriors. Because the models are much smaller than their better-known counterparts, it makes sense to do them first or they would be a bit of an anti-climax.

It’s near the airport, so an ideal stop-off when you arrive. And it’s much, much quieter, so an easier place to learn about the reasons for the models before hitting the relative chaos of the terracotta warriors.

Finally, though smaller, you actually feel the models are closer to you – as you view them from a glass floor built directly over the excavation pits. Worth seeing.

Visitor 5: “Great way to show the pits”
This was a very interesting stop on the way to the airport . They have preserved the pits surrounding the empowers tomb very well and you can walk over glass floors above the pits where they buried all the things the empower would need in the next life. Very well presented.

Visitor 6: “What the terracotta warriors museum should be”
A very well presented underground museum which lets you get very close to the artefacts (you feel like you are walking in the pits, or on top of the artefacts, as you are separated by a glass.

Entrance was 80rmb, even though it was advertised as 90rmb.

There is a separate museum called the archaelogical hall, which seems to be old and not as interesting as the underground museum. This is 800m away from the underground museum, you can take a free golf buggy shuttle.

When I visited, the museum was deserted, compared to the terracotta warriors site, this site was a better experience. It felt like there were more foreigners than local tourists.

The museum is close to the airport and can be visited on the way to the airport.

Visitor 7: “Hidden Gem”
The tomb is located about 30-45 minutes car ride outside of Xi’an. Although not as big, there are similarities between this tomb and the Terracotta Warriors in so far as both consist in a series of parallel pits scattered with different artefacts. It is very well excavated and displayed with glass floors so that you can see directly into the pit. Well worth a visit.

Visitor 8: “Well worth the visit!”
I’m so surprised that this tomb and exhibition of miniature terracota warriors and animals appears to fall below most people’s radar!

We had specifically asked to visit, as I’d been there 5 years ago and was highly impressed then and wanted to go back.

Our guide told us she only goes 2/3 times a year and mostly with Chinese tourists! She said hardly any western tourists ask about it – I’m not surprised if it’s not promoted! Even our travel agent had never heard of it when we booked to visit China!

Yes, the Qin Terracota Army is way more vast and impressive due to the size of the figures and the sheer scale, but one really should visit this army!

All the figures, male and female, are on a miniature size compared to the Qin army, had wooden arms and were dressed in silk outfits. With the passing of time the arms and outfits have all disintegrated, but the terracota figures and horses, chariots, dogs, sheep and pigs are still there to see!

One walks across glass walkways over the channels containing the army, unlike the Qin army where you see it from the side – I thought this was great as it brings you closer to the figures and how they were discovered.

The museum has restored figures, full size recreations of how the various figures would have looked in miniature, and various tableaux again showing one how it would have looked.

As very few people appear to know of this amazing place you won’t be surprised to know it’s exceptionally quiet for anywhere in China!

This really should not be missed and is a fascinating comparison to the world renowned Qin Warriors!

Visitor 9: “great complement to the terra cotta warriors”
This is a great museum, really worth visiting together with the terra cotta warriors. Being able to walk on the glass floors right over the pit really gives a new perspective on the scale of the pits and how the items were placed and later excavated. I particularly liked the section where you can walk between two pits and see the excavations at eye level. For additional entertainment, watch the holographic movie. The english audio guide isn’t that great, but it is amusing.

Visitor 10: “Well done display of excavated pits”
After reading the mixed reviews, we weren’t sure what to expect. However, we were pleasantly surprised with the ease of getting to the museum as well as the great presentation of the excavated pits.

As discussed in the forums, it’s easy to jump on bus 4 from outside the metro. It’s 2Y for the bus making it cheap trip compared to the 280Y per person tour we saw at the hostel. The bus leaves from the stop about 8 times between 8:30 To 17:00 and sets down at the museum. So easy! The bus returns similar times, but the most helpful info is that the last bus is at 18:00. It took us about 2 hours to slowly meander through.

The museum is 80Y for admission. We did not get the film for 10Y so I am not sure about it. The museum was dimly lit to preserve the pieces and it adds to the ambience of viewing such old relics. We were impressed with the clarity of the excavated items and the ability to view them so closely. The glass walk ways are fun for viewing and walking alongside the excavation area at a lower view was interesting. There was English and French for each pit on display. Overall the underground museum was well done.

The south gate was okay. There is little left, however they try to give info based on what is left. The view from above is a good addition to viewing the gateway.

I would recommend going on your own. I wouldn’t pay the large tour price, but it is worth your time if in xi’an.