Tourist Damages 2,000-Year-Old Terracotta Warrior in China

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - A tourist has damaged a 2,000-year-old terracotta warrior statue in China. These statues have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage since 1987.

Reported by Global Times, a 30-year-old Chinese tourist with the surname Sun breached the barriers and protective fencing of a pit at the Terracotta Warriors Museum, Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province on Friday, May 29, 2025. He entered Pit No. 3, around 5.4 meters deep, at around 17:30, then pushed and pulled the warrior statue. Two Class II protected artifacts, the armored warrior statue, were damaged.

The man has now been detained by the police. It was revealed that he has mental health issues, according to a statement released by the Public Security Bureau Xi'an Lintong branch, early Saturday, May 30, 2025.

History of the Terracotta Warrior Statue

The Terracotta Warriors are a world-famous archaeological site and part of the first Chinese emperor, Qin Shi Huang mausoleum complex. These artifacts hold great historical, artistic, and cultural significance, offering important insights into ancient Chinese history, culture, and military practices.

According to Britannica, these statues are estimated to have been built around 209 BCE to guard the first emperor's tomb. The 8,000-strong terracotta army is one of China's most significant archaeological discoveries. The statues are also considered a symbol of ancient Chinese art and military sophistication.

A farmer drilling a well discovered the mausoleum containing the Terracotta Army in March 1974. He uncovered an underground chamber where archaeologists later found a force of around 8,000 life-sized terracotta warrior statues. These statues were assembled from separately fired pieces but given individually detailed faces and horses.

Alongside the terracotta army, there are war chariots adorned with wood and bronze, iron agricultural tools, bronze and leather bridles, as well as objects made of silk, linen, jade, and bone. There are also weapons such as bows and arrows, spears, and swords, which are still shiny and sharp.

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