Bowers Museum to Bring Priceless Artifacts to Southern California; Viking River Cruises...

Bowers Museum to Bring Priceless Artifacts to Southern California; Viking
River Cruises a Sponsor
Terra Cotta Warriors: Guardians of China's First Emperor Runs May 18 - October
12, 2008

LOS ANGELES, May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Viking River Cruises, the world's
leading river cruise line, is supporting the efforts of Orange County's
prestigious Bowers Museum to bring the largest display of Chinese Terra Cotta
Warriors and related artifacts outside of China to Southern California. The
Bowers exhibit, which recently ended a popular 7-month run at the British
Museum, opens to the public Sunday, May 18. It will remain at the Bowers for
nearly 5 months before it moves on to Atlanta, Georgia for installation at the
High Museum. The exhibit will also stop at Houston's Museum of Natural Science
before continuing to the National Geographic Museum at Explorers Hall in
Washington D.C.
"It has been a thrill bringing travelers to China to see the Terra Cotta
Army in Xian, as well as other key attractions in China, for the past five
years," said Torstein Hagen, founding chairman of Viking. "We want to help
give Americans a closer look at some of the treasures China offers."
"The Bowers Museum has an outstanding history of bringing the world's
finest arts and cultures to Southern California," commented Inez Wolins, Vice
President of Development and Marketing for the Bowers Museum. "Our partnership
with Viking River Cruises is mutually beneficial: the museum receives valuable
financial and in-kind support toward the exhibition, and the corporation
aligns itself with a significant national tour and wider audiences to help
spread the word about their itineraries in China. It's a win-win situation."
The Terra Cotta Army was created for Qin Shi Huang, first Emperor of
China, who unified the Chinese states into a single country, worked to
standardize the Chinese language, created a national road system and began
construction on China's Great Wall. During his 38-year reign, from 247 B.C.
until his death in 210 B.C., he arranged for thousands of workers to construct
an elaborate mausoleum for him, complete with an army to allow him to rule in
the afterlife. After his death he was interred with his clay army and a vast
collection of riches. Soon a peasant revolt swept through China and eradicated
all traces of his reign, including the tomb; eventually even the legends about
it were forgotten. Then, in 1974, local farmers digging a well came upon a
terra cotta head, thus discovering a nearly 2,200-year-old archeological
treasure.
Viking River Cruises, founded in 1997, began offering "cruisetours" in
China in 2004. Each of these journeys includes a special trip to Xian to see
the mausoleum where some 8,000 Terra Cotta Warriors were buried thousands of
years ago. Travelers enter a large hanger erected over the archeological site
and view the terra cotta infantrymen, archers and horses from a series of
catwalks, thus enjoying the large scale of the site as well as the opportunity
to appreciate the craftsmanship and individualized detail applied to each of
the faces.
"Seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors is one of the highlights of all our China
itineraries," Hagen continued. "But for those who have not yet been able to
travel to China to view the Terra Cotta Army, the Bowers exhibit will provide
an idea of the incredible workmanship that went into creating it. If, after
exploring the exhibit, people decide to come to China to see Emperor Qin's
army and China's many other treasures, that would be ideal," said Hagen with a
smile.
Viking River Cruises offers four different China itineraries in 2008; each
includes visits to Beijing and Shanghai and a deluxe Yangtze River Cruise
through the scenic Three Gorges Area in addition to a stay in Xian to visit
the Terra Cotta Army. The 12-day Imperial Jewels of China covers the
highlights mentioned; the 16-day China's Cultural Delights includes extra days
on the Yangtze River traveling to rarely seen but fascinating destinations;
the 17-day Silk Road Adventure follows in the footsteps of Marco Polo and
other explorers to multicultural destinations like Turpan, Kashgar and Urumqi;
and the 16-day Roof of the World includes a few days in beautiful Lhasa,
Tibet.
"River cruising is an extraordinary value, especially during times when
the dollar is weak vis-a-vis other currencies," Hagen explained. "Guests pay
for their all-inclusive itineraries in dollars, and once paid in full their
price is locked in with no worries about currency fluctuations, fuel costs or
price adjustments. Our China ships are the best -- every stateroom has a
private balcony and the cuisine is amazing -- and we stay in all 5-star or
best-in-city hotels."
"We are proud to help a fine institution like the Bowers Museum to bring
the most comprehensive exhibit of Terra Cotta Warriors and related artifacts
ever seen outside China to California," added Hagen. "We hope many people will
go to the Bowers Museum to enjoy it."
About the Bowers Museum
Founded in 1936, the Bowers Museum is an internationally celebrated
institution of art and culture dedicated to the preservation, study, and
exhibition of fine arts from around the world. To achieve its mission to
"enrich lives through the world's finest arts and cultures," the Bowers offers
exhibitions, lectures, art classes, travel programs, children's art and music
education programs, and other community programs. Its guiding philosophy is to
help people learn about other cultures through their arts, and offer a greater
understanding of ourselves and appreciation of the world in which we live. For
more information, call 714-567-3600 or visit www.bowers.org.
About Viking River Cruises
Viking River Cruises, the world leader in river cruising, offers quality
service, gourmet cuisine and comfortable scenic cruising along Europe, Russia
and China's majestic rivers. In addition to being honored multiple times on
Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List, the company has also appeared on Travel +
Leisure's "World's Best" lists several times. Travel agents have recognized
Viking River Cruises as "Best Overall Cruise Line for River Cruising"
(TravelAge West); "Best Cruise Line - River Cruise" (Recommend), and "Best
River Cruise Line" by Travel Weekly. Additionally, the company was named "Best
River Cruise" twice by CruiseReport.com. Since its 1997 inception, the company
has grown to a fleet of 21 vessels (22 for 2009), and provides unique,
affordable vacations geared toward experienced travelers with an interest in
geography, culture and history. For more information, contact Viking River
Cruises at 1-877-668-4546 (1-877-66VIKING) toll-free or visit
vikingrivercruises.com.
The Bowers Museum is located at 2002 North Main Street, Santa Ana,
California 92706.
SOURCE Viking River Cruises

Richard Marnell of Viking River Cruises, +1-818-227-1234,
USMedia@vikingrivercruises.com