Terracotta Warriors at National Geographic Museum Washington

WASHINGTON: National Geographic Museum director Susan Norton gazed at a piece of armor constructed of hundreds of limestone pieces the size of mahjong tiles and strung together with copper wire.

"(These were created) 2,200 years ago, (examine) the level of sophistication of this artwork," Norton said.

She was referring to the discoveries of an ancient Chinese treasure - the Terracotta Warriors of Emperor Qin Shihuang, buried deep in the mountains of Shaanxi province.

A selection of these terracotta figures recently arrived in Washington as part of a four-city tour of the United States. The exhibit has been one of the most significant ones hosted by the National Geographic Society.

"There are many great treasures in China that don't travel," Norton said. "The Forbidden City doesn't travel. The Great Wall doesn't travel. We're lucky that Shaanxi allows a certain number of (terracotta figures) to travel at any given time."

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