Terracotta Warriors Return to Orange County: “More Than the Qin Army” Exhibition Ignites Southern California’s Passion for Chinese Archaeology

By Richard Ren | LAPost | Santa Ana | May 23, 2025

Fourteen years after their last appearance in the U.S., the world-renowned Terracotta Warriors—hailed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World”—have returned to Southern California. The exhibition, World of the Terracotta Warriors: New Archaeological Discoveries in Shaanxi in the 21st Century, opens to the public on May 24 at the Bowers Museum in Orange County. It is jointly organized by the Shaanxi Provincial Cultural Heritage Administration, Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center, the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum of China, and the Bowers Museum. After its run in California, the exhibition will travel to Houston.

At the media preview held on May 23, major outlets from Los Angeles and Orange County gathered for an early look at the remarkable collection. Li Gang, Director of the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Museum, and Dr. Tianlong Jiao, Chief Curator and Deputy Director of the Bowers Museum, introduced the exhibition’s highlights and curatorial concept.

2,200 Years of History Unearthed

Featuring 108 artifacts spanning from the late Neolithic period to the fall of the Qin Dynasty, the exhibition presents a sweeping narrative of China’s ancient civilization—from its diverse origins to unification under the First Emperor. Twenty-one of the objects are Class I National Treasures of China, many making their overseas debut.

Highlights include:

• Monumental stone carvings and jade artifacts from the Shimao site, one of China’s earliest known walled cities (c. 2300 BCE).

• Ornate gold jewelry from the Rui Kingdom tombs of the Spring and Autumn period, showcasing elite artistry.

• Stunning Qin-era relics, including bronze swans, kneeling archers, armored generals, and ceremonial chariots, reflecting the technological and military might of the first unified Chinese empire.

The exhibition is organized into five thematic sections and highlights groundbreaking archaeological finds from sites such as Shimao, Zhaigou, Shigushan, Liangdaicun, and Yongcheng. Together, these discoveries help fill key historical gaps and offer new insight into China’s past.

Technology Meets Tradition

Far from a traditional display, World of the Terracotta Warriors integrates state-of-the-art museum technologies to deliver an immersive, interactive visitor experience. Augmented by virtual reality, animated reconstructions, and ambient sound design, the exhibit vividly re-creates ancient environments and archaeological contexts.

“This is a conversation across millennia,” said Dr. Jiao, who has personally overseen the project since 2023, including three research visits to China. “We’re not just presenting ancient objects—we’re inviting audiences into the world they came from.”

Jiao emphasized that over half of the artifacts on display were excavated in the 21st century, offering a fresher and more comprehensive narrative than previous exhibitions.

Behind the Scenes: A Champion of Cultural Exchange

Behind the scenes, the exhibition owes much to Anne Shih, Chair of the Bowers Museum Board, whose decades-long commitment to cultural exchange has helped make this project a reality. Now 80 years old, Shih has been instrumental in bringing China’s most celebrated treasures to Southern California since 2007.

In 2023, when she learned other institutions were vying for the Terracotta Warriors, Shih acted swiftly—securing international agreements and spearheading a major fundraising campaign that raised over $1.5 million to bring the exhibition back to Bowers.

“The Terracotta Warriors belong here,” Shih said with conviction. “They’ve become part of our story in Southern California. For my 80th birthday, I couldn’t ask for a better gift than to share this extraordinary exhibition with our community once again.”

Building Bridges Through Culture

Beyond its scholarly and aesthetic value, World of the Terracotta Warriors serves as a cultural bridge between East and West. The artifacts not only trace China’s transformation from tribal societies to a centralized empire, but also spark larger questions about human identity, innovation, and interconnectedness.

“We want visitors to walk away not just in awe of the craftsmanship, but inspired to think about the shared origins of civilization,” Dr. Jiao said. “More Than the Qin Army is more than a tagline—it’s a call to explore the roots of who we are, together.”