2024 marked the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the first terracotta army pit in the 1970s, a find that reshaped global understanding of ancient China. Both Bowers Museum’s 2008 exhibition Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of China’s First Emperor and 2011 exhibition Warriors, Tombs, and Temples: China’s Enduring Legacy captivated audiences with these awe-inspiring relics.

Now, World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century builds on this legacy with over 110 newly unearthed treasures making their North American debut.

“We are incredibly proud to be hosting this historic exhibition in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the original discovery of the warriors,” said Dr. Sean O’Harrow, President of Bowers Museum. “And we are excited to feature new discoveries from royal tombs dating back a further 2,000 years.”

Unprecedented Treasures In collaboration with the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center and leading institutions across Shaanxi Province, World of the Terracotta Warriors offers an exclusive glimpse into China’s political and artistic achievements before and during the Qin dynasty. Traverse millennia, from Shimao around 2300 BCE—among the earliest walled cities in China—to pivotal sites of the Shang and Zhou dynasties, culminating in the iconic terracotta warriors commissioned by the Qin emperor and completed after his death in 210 BCE.

This exhibition is jointly organized by the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, and Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum of the People's Republic of China, and Bowers Museum in the United States.