On the afternoon of May 30th, a serious cultural relic damage incident occurred at the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi’an, when a middle-aged man jumped into pit No. 3, causing the toppling and damage of three terracotta warriors, sparking widespread social attention and condemnation.
According to eyewitness Ms. Ding, the incident took place around 5 p.m. that day. The middle-aged man disregarded safety precautions, jumped into the interior of pit No. 3, and intentionally pushed over the terracotta warriors.
Another witness, Mr. Xiao Lin, told Extreme News that he had just entered the viewing area of pit No. 3 and witnessed the entire process. The man first jumped to the middle layer of the pit, then descended to the bottom of the pit, touched the terracotta warriors with his hands, and proceeded to push them over.
Tour guide Te Te further confirmed that the man jumped in frontally, considering the height of the protective railings and the man’s landing position, indicating that this was clearly intentional behavior rather than an accidental fall.
As of the evening of the 30th, the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism stated that they had not yet received an official report of damage, but had documented the relevant details and would verify with the relevant departments.
Staff at the Terracotta Warriors Museum confirmed that the incident is under investigation, and the Terracotta Police Station intervened around 7 p.m. that night, but whether pit No. 3 will remain open is still to be determined.
According to official information from the museum, pit No. 3 is the smallest of the three pits of the Terracotta Warriors, with a layout in the shape of a concave character, measuring 28.8 meters east-west and 24.57 meters north-south, with a depth from the surface of 5.2 to 5.4 meters, covering an area of approximately 520 square meters. The pit originally housed 72 pottery warriors and horses, with protective barriers around the pit and visitor areas.
However, this is not the first time the Terracotta Warriors Museum has faced incidents of visitors trespassing into the pits. Recent similar acts of vandalism highlighted by the Epoch Times include:
– On February 5, 2025, a male tourist jumped over the barrier into pit No. 1, claiming he wanted a “close-up view,” and was later escorted away by staff.
– On August 17, 2024, a female tourist, in distress as her child suddenly had a high fever and convulsions, entered the pit holding her child, seeking help.
– On March 29, 2023, four tourists from Henan Province, one of them suddenly climbed over the barrier of pit No. 1 for a quick glance at the excavation site before returning. The visitors were detained for 15 days.
– On October 4, 2017, a visitor accidentally dropped their phone into pit No. 3 and the museum staff retrieved it after closing hours, returning it to the owner the next day.
– In 2006, a German tourist dressed in homemade “warrior clothing” jumped into a pit and disguised himself among the terracotta warriors until fellow visitors noticed that “the warriors wink,” exposing the deception.
The Terracotta Warriors, as a world cultural heritage and precious historical relic, carry profound historical and cultural value. Each terracotta warrior is a unique and irreplaceable cultural treasure, and any damage incurred would result in irreparable losses.