Overview
Three pits are open. Pit 1 is the great infantry hall, 230 metres long and the reason to come; Pit 2 holds cavalry and archers in mid-excavation; Pit 3 is the small command post. Every face is different, and traces of the original pigment survive on some figures — the colour was lost within minutes of exposure in early digs, which is why much of the site is deliberately left buried.
Highlights
See Pit 1 last, not first — it is overwhelming and makes the smaller pits feel thin if taken in the wrong order. The bronze chariots in the exhibition hall are the finest single objects on site. Allow three hours plus travel; the site is an hour from Xi’an by bus or metro plus shuttle.