Terracotta Warriors big hit for Liverpool

An exhibition showcasing China's Terracotta Warriors in the British city of Liverpool has made a major economic impact for the region.

The National Museums Liverpool revealed that its blockbuster exhibition, China's First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors, which opened in February, will have contributed more than 78 million pounds ($100.6 million) to the local economy by the time it finishes on Sunday.

The display is one of the most popular exhibitions ever held by the organization, with latest figures showing that more than 600,000 people will have seen the warriors since it opened on Feb 9. That number far exceeds the museum's expectations of around half a million visitors, and includes more than 20,000 schoolchildren on educational visits and 97,000 visitors on group tours.

David Henshaw, chairman of National Museums Liverpool, said: "We are thrilled that so many people have been able to see and enjoy the terracotta warriors here in Liverpool. More than three quarters of visitors told us that our exhibition was the main reason for their visit to Liverpool. We are delighted to have made such a significant contribution to the visitor economy of the Liverpool City Region."

The museum gift shop has reported sales of 30,980 terracotta warrior fridge magnets and 31,119 replica terracotta warriors, including 13 replica life size warriors.

China's First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors is part of a program of cultural excellence across the city of Liverpool in 2018 which has included the Biennial festival of contemporary visual art, the 30th birthday of the Tate Liverpool gallery, and public celebrations as part of the Liverpool 2018 initiative to celebrate ten years since the city was declared European Capital of Culture.

"We're so proud to be part of the fabric of Liverpool's rich culture and to have delivered the Terracotta Warriors exhibition for our visitors this year. Congratulations to our colleagues across the city on coming together to deliver a fantastic year-round offer and keeping us at the top of the UK's cultural calendar," said Laura Pye, National Museums Liverpool's director.

An estimated 36 percent of visitors to National Museums Liverpool venues are on staying visits from outside the city region.

Using this data, National Museums Liverpool estimates the Terracotta Warriors exhibition has driven around 208,220 staying visits to Liverpool throughout the exhibition from February to October 2018, and a wider contribution to the local economy of more than 78 million pounds.

The exhibit ends this Sunday.