China's Terracotta warriors to march to Britain

BEIJING (Reuters Life!) - Twenty warriors from China's ancient Terracotta Army, the largest contingent ever to leave the country, will be put on display at the British Museum next month, officials said.

The six-month exhibition, which opens on September 13, will also include some 100 artifacts, including coins Emperor Qin introduced to the country and objects found in his tomb.

"The Terracotta Army is the image of the Chinese nation throughout history. This is a classic cultural symbol," said Sun Ning, a Beijing-based curator who is part of the team overseeing the packing and shipping of the statues.

"We are emphasizing our cultural identity. We are showing ourselves to the world. We are saying we are not only a young fast developing country but also an ancient cultural nation."

Over 2,200 years ago, Emperor Qin Shihuang unified China for the first time and was keen to continue ruling after his death.

He commissioned an 8,000-strong army made of clay, which took 38 years to complete. The army was only discovered in March 1974 by local farmers in Shaanxi province drilling a water well.

The larger-than-life terracotta figures of warriors and horses, regarded as one of the world's most important archaeological finds, arranged in battle formations are the star attraction at the museum in Xi'an.