11 September 2007
Gordon Brown has opened an exhibition of Chinese terracotta warriors at the British Museum.
Accompanied by Chinese ambassador Fu Ying and Culture Secretary James Purnell, the PM heralded the largest exhibition of the world-famous sculptures to be held outside China as a "gift across continents". Around 20 figures, 11 of them soldiers, will be on display until April next year under the title The First Emperor: China’s Terracotta Army.
The PM said:
"This exhibition marks a relationship between Britain and China that is going from strength to strength. Whether on development, climate change or international trade, there has never been a more important moment in history for increasing understanding and cooperation between China and the UK.
"In that spirit - celebrating the wealth of cultural, social and political cooperation that unites our two countries - I am delighted to be able to officially open this exhibition today."
The discovery of the terracotta army in 1974 was one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century, giving an insight into China’s First Emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, and his legacy.
The exhibition includes a selection of the 1,000 figures, currently housed in Xi’an in north central China, which were buried alongside Qin in readiness for the afterlife. It is believed that there are as many as 7,000 more statues still waiting to be excavated.
Image copyright: Reuters
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