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The National Geographic Museum is the latest stop in the world tour of China’s terra-cotta warriors. The silent, life-size sentries were built more than 2,000 years ago to protect the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s throne in the afterlife. Their image projects the grandeur and mystery of ancient China—and clearly resonates in modern-day America. Advance ticket sales topped 90,000. But a visitor to the show won’t see all the terra-cotta warriors.
In China today, these stone soldiers have come to wear quite a few uniforms, and not what you would expect. In the warriors’ hometown of Xian, where I spent a year studying Mandarin, I saw statues recast with playful irreverence by the country’s youth, used as a marketing ploy to appeal to consumers, and displayed as a striking symbol of the “New China.” Clearly, the terra-cotta warriors prove you're never too old for a makeover.
This sometimes silly reinvention is actually part of a serious shift in China, as its leaders seek to shape a modern country capable of supporting 1.3 billion people without losing touch with the lessons of a 5,000-year-old history.
A warrior guards milkshake-sipping customers at a Dairy Queen opposite the 1,400-year-old Big Wild Goose pagoda. DQ has been operating in China since 1992; it has more than 40 locations but is far from leading the expansion of American fast food in China. KFC and Pizza Hut rule the market for the Yum Corporation, with more than 3,000 outlets throughout the country filling bellies - and $469 million in 2008 profits.
Feeling the holiday spirit, this terra-cotta warrior is dressed as jolly old Saint Nick to welcome revelers to a bar. Christmas decorations from trees to reindeer adorn shop windows and public spaces in China’s big cities as retailers try to capitalize on the cash register cha-ching of Christmas consumerism. Celebrated as a largely secular holiday in China, Christmas typically appeals to younger Chinese who are fascinated with all things Western—and also appreciate a holiday that doesn’t have any traditional family obligations.
Armed not with a spear but a computer screen, this warrior guards a four-story computer market that tempts buyers with an endless array of gadgetry. Laptops, cell phones, and cameras abound—all tools for capturing and spreading information in a country where the government exerts direct control over major news agencies and television networks. Emperor Qin Shi Huang was also known for his propaganda strategies, burning books on history and philosophy that he believed could undermine his legitimacy and executing anyone who even discussed the topics. Today, with the world’s largest number of Internet users, China employs nearly 40,000 state and party officials to monitor files circulating on the Internet. Even as President Obama declared access to information a universal human right, the blockage of Facebook and YouTube restricted the ability of Chinese to hear the message.
Playing the drums and holding a bottle of Jack Daniels whiskey at the terra-cotta-warrior-themed nightclub Park Qin, these culture-blending warriors behave just like the rest of the crowd—a diverse mix of young Chinese, expatriates, and travelers. This scene of cultural juxtaposition captures the spirit of the era after the authoritarian Qin Dynasty fell. Xian later flourished at the eastern end of the Silk Road—benefiting from an infusion of new goods, religions, and artistic techniques. Now cast as cultural commodities, the warriors are a demonstration of globalization’s touch.
—Photos and text by William Shubert
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Comments
Nov 19, 2009 5PM #
great entry. china is a country of many ironies, as well as astonishing history and beauty.
Nov 19, 2009 5PM #
An excellent article, Willy!
Nov 19, 2009 5PM #
love all those bright colors and outfits-- perhaps we could call them drag warriors! fun stuff -- you go William!
Nov 19, 2009 5PM #
La perception des âmes désolées.
C'est la
perception des
âmes désolées,
et quand le
tourment descend
pour décrire
le portrait d'une
ombre matinale
je vois, dans
la mer, une ombre
infinie qui rappelle
la jeunesse.
Francesco Sinibaldi
Nov 19, 2009 5PM #
What a star!! What a creative story. Great companion piece
Nov 19, 2009 5PM #
Great contrast to the real thing...
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