At the age of 13 (in 246 BC) , Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, began his mausoleum.  It took him 11 years to finish it.  The tomb included,  8,000 life-size warriors all with unique faces and bodies believed to be models of the actual warriors in his army, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses.

Discovered in 1976 by a farmer digging a well, the Terra Cotta Warriors and horse are truly amazing.  The farmer is still alive and sits at the archeological site most days with his book.  I met him and yes, I have his signature and book.

This is pit 1,  there are 3 other main pits and many areas that have not been unearthed yet.

Each warrior was made in a government workshop.   Heads, arms, legs and toros were created separately then assembled.  Each warrior varied in height, uniform, and hairstyle in accordance with their rank.  Each was painted, provided a weapon and then placed  in a military formation according to rank and duty to surround the tomb of the emperor.

We spent a long weekend in Xian,  which is about 900 miles north west of Shanghai.  Our guide told us it was a small city by China standards – only 6.5 million people.  In addition to the warriors, we visited the Big goose Pagoda, the bell tower,  and walked the city wall.

The city wall surrounds the inner city and is the most complete wall to survive in the country.  It was built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and was renovated recently.  You can rent a bike and travel the 13.7 KM loop if you like.  It was very hot when we were there so we opted for a short walk and a cold drink.

With an air quality index of 74 and the temperature pushing 50, I left the apartment in search of a wet market. Convinced that I had found the right spot, I made my way through a narrow ally into a large covered area. What I found was anything but wet. I was standing in the middle of one of Shanghai’s most famous cricket markets. Crickets have been beloved by the Chinese for a few thousand years or so. Even today, they are kept as pets for their song, used by framers to signal changes in the seasons and for sporting purposes. Cricket fighting season runs from August to October. Only male crickets flight or sing for that matter. Females on the other hand, are used to produce future fighters so the once they can no longer be bred, they are fed to other pets. What can I say, its tough being a women no matter what species you are.

A prized fighting cricket can go for $100’s of dollars. Men gather with their elite athletes, which by the way, are bred the night before the competition – apparently this makes them more aggressive. Two crickets are put in a shallow dish and tickled with a brush made from rat hair. Bets are taken and the winner of the best of 5 matches is hailed the champion. You will be happy to know, they no longer fight to the death. The loser is allowed to retreat, however based on his fighting ability, he may be fed to a bird later in the day. I’m not sure if I will attend a flight next season, but if you are interested, I am told cricket fighting is also popular in New York and Philly. Check you local listings.

Here is small selection of the crickets available for purchase.