China's Terracotta warriors shortens distance between China, Thailand

BANGKOK, Oct. 11 (Xinhua) -- "I feel honored to witness the Terracotta warriors, the eighth wonder of the world," said Jariya Thanomtin, a 68-year-old Thai woman who used to work at the Thai national museum.

"There is no need to fly to China now. The friendship between Thailand and China allows us to have an opportunity to get close to the world-renowned artefacts."

Running from Sep. 15 to Dec. 15, the exhibition, "Qin Shi Huang: The First Emperor of China and the Terracotta Warriors," featured a collection of 133 relics that are over 2,200 years old at the Thai national museum, Bangkok. It was a collaboration of the Ministry of Culture of Thailand with the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration.

The exhibition, the first of its kind in Thailand, attracted thousands of visitors every day, according to museum staff.

Suphanee, a 50-year-old China-born Thai having devoted to teaching Chinese in a Thai middle school for over 20 years, took 25 students to visit the exhibition. "The exhibition is very meaningful for students who are learning Chinese," she said.

Eighty-four-year-old Liu Shitong, a China-born Thai who had to be in a wheelchair and pushed by his family, was happy to see the artefacts from his motherland. He said, "I just can't express my excitement by word. I can't believe I can see the Terracotta Warriors in Bangkok in my lifetime."

Jiang Peng, the project leader from Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, described how difficult it was to convey the works to Thailand.

"Usually it takes two to three years to prepare an overseas exhibition. But we have only one year for this exhibition," he said.

"Last year, we sent a professional group to Thailand to check whether the Thai national museum can meet the security requirements and ensure temperature and humidity standards."

"For many Thais, this may be an exhibition that they can only see once in their lifetime. We want to make sure everything is fine," he added.

The highlights of the exhibition were four life-size Terracotta warriors. Nithiwut, a Chinese Thai, read carefully the description of the Terracotta warriors, and explained the difference of their postures to his friend.

"The exhibition represents a highlight in this year's China-Thai cultural and arts exchange, and shortens the distance between the two peoples," he said.