The Glorious Milestone of the "GAC Gonow Weiwu Twins Chinese Cultural Journey" (1)

    On November 23, 2014, bearing the corporate responsibility of fulfilling the dreams of the Chinese nation, GAC Gonow embarked on a journey to explore Chinese civilization. The "GAC Gonow Weiwu Twins Chinese Cultural Journey" officially set off from BaoYang 4S Store in Xi'an. The newly launched SUV model GX6 and the new-generation pickup GP150, both from GAC Gonow, formed the convoy that departed from Xi'an, passing through Tianshui, Lanzhou, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, and finally arriving in Dunhuang to begin the pursuit of the splendor of Chinese civilization.

    During the Tang Dynasty, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism coexisted in China, with Buddhism being especially widespread in Chang’an. Xuanzang traveled westward to retrieve Buddhist scriptures, and Jianzhen voyaged eastward. At that time, cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries regarding Buddhism were very frequent.

    In the afternoon itinerary, the most historically valuable cultural heritage was saved for the final stop: the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.

    The environment is solemn, and the grandeur of the imperial tomb highlights its magnificence. The imposing aura showcases the might of the former empire, and the design is excellent—truly worth experiencing the shock of history. It can be said that this is the largest, structurally most unique, and richest in content imperial mausoleum in the world. Its abundant burial artifacts rank first among all imperial tombs throughout history.

    The Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor lies to the south against the lush, mountainous Lishan range and to the north beside the winding Wei River, resembling a silver snake lying across the water’s edge. The scale is grand and the momentum majestic. The total area of the mausoleum complex is 56.25 square kilometers—equivalent to 78 Forbidden Cities. The inner city houses an underground palace with pearls representing the sun, moon, and stars overhead, and rivers, lakes, and seas made of mercury below ground.

    The Qin tomb also contains various palaces, displaying many rare and exotic treasures. Surrounding the tomb are numerous burial pits and tombs of different shapes and contents, with over 400 already identified.

    In 1987, UNESCO included the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor in the World Heritage List, making it a shared treasure of all humanity. Such a designation as a World Heritage Site is not just an empty title—in times of war, if two nations were at conflict, the Qin tomb would absolutely not be a permissible target for attack.

    The Museum of the Terracotta Army of the First Qin Emperor is located 1.5 kilometers east of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, built on the original site of the terracotta pits. It is the world's largest underground military museum. The terracotta pits are burial pits of the mausoleum. Historical records state that Qin Shi Huang, Ying Zheng, began constructing the mausoleum when he ascended the throne at age 13. The project was planned under the direction of Prime Minister Li Si, supervised by General Zhang Han, and took 38 years to complete. The sheer scale and grandeur of the project set a precedent for the extravagant burials of feudal rulers throughout history.

    The terracotta burial pits face west and are arranged in a triangular formation of three pits. The first pit, the earliest to be discovered, is rectangular, with sloped entrance passages on all four sides. To the left and right are two additional terracotta pits, now referred to as the second and third pits. The layout of the pits is rational, with a unique structure. About 5 meters deep, every 3 meters a load-bearing wall runs east-west, and the terracotta figures are arranged in the passageways between these walls.

    So far, three pits have been discovered. The first pit is a rectangular pit stretching from east to west, measuring 230 meters long and 62 meters wide, with five entrance passages on each side. At the east and west ends are long corridors, with side corridors on the north and south sides, and nine east-west passageways in the middle. The passageways are separated by rammed earth walls. This pit primarily features chariots and infantry in a combined rectangular formation. The main body of the formation faces east, with rows of warriors on the south, north, and west corridors facing outward to serve as flank guards and rear protection; the three rows of warriors to the east form the vanguard. Within the nine passageways are large formations of chariots and infantry, each containing four rows of warriors—some in battle robes, some in armor—with chariots in the middle. Each chariot has one charioteer and two warriors.

    The second pit covers an area of about 6,000 square meters and consists of a hook-shaped military formation made up of chariots, infantry, and cavalry.

    The third pit, covering an area of 520 square meters, is shaped like a “convex” character. It yielded one chariot, four horse figurines, and 68 warrior figurines. The pottery figures inside are arranged in an aisle-like formation, and it served as the command center of the Qin army formation.

    The Terracotta Army of the First Qin Emperor is a precious cultural treasure of humankind, comparable to Egypt’s pyramids and ancient Greek sculptures. They fully demonstrate the exceptional artistic talent of the ancient Han people of China more than 2,000 years ago and are a source of pride and invaluable heritage for the Chinese nation.