KB is driven mad by those documentaries on satellite TV about Rome, which constantly refer to 'the greatest Empire the world has ever known'. The worst offender recently was the bombastic Boris Johnson in his BBC series on the glories and grandeur of the Romans. As an educated, worldy, Asian-born scientist, KB finds this kind of casual, narrow-minded claptrap infuriating; and who can blame him? By the time Julius Caesar was rolling around the Dordogne, the great Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi had been underground with his Terracotta Army for over 200 years, having created what was (and is) really the 'greatest empire the world has ever known' - with a culture, arts and sciences far ahead of anything which existed in 'the west'. The Romans were little more than a disciplined bunch of thugs who conquered most of the Med by being far more ruthless and savage than anyone before or since.  If any town stood in its way, it would simply be eliminated - women, children, old people - it didn't matter to the Romans. In fact, it was an essential part of their way of doing business. Unlike the Greeks, they left little in the way of arts or culture which has lasted. There was no Roman Plato or Aristotle. And when they grew fat and lazy, it all crumbled to dust. That was not to be the fate of the China created by Qin Shi Huangdi!

Old Qin didn't exactly have a great human rights record either. His creation of One Kingdom Under Heaven resulted in appalling slaughter. But at least his savagery was designed to lead to a noble outcome: the creation of one 'Empire of Ten Thousand Generations', and peace between the six warring states. He was 38 when he became the First Emperor, and only lasted a decade in power before he died of mercury poisoning from taking pills which, his doctors told him, would guarantee immortality.

All the time he was Emperor, Qin was planning for the life to come. It was known when he died - or shortly afterwards - that Qin had forced 700,000 workers to toil ceaselessly in the creation of a subterranean city, a scale model of the palace, the empire, the world, filled with unimaginable treasures designed to keep Qin living (or 'after-living') in the manner he had become accustomed to.  Automatic weapons were installed to thwart robbers, and the principal architects and builders walled up by Qin's successor to stop them spilling the beans on all of his secrets.

Qin's insane plan worked, and - to this day - his mausoleum remains undisturbed at the site roughly 35 kilometres from Xian. Even our technology has not been able to uncover his glories yet. But, quite by chance, we have uncovered parts of his secret army: the Terracotta Warriors.

We have been in Xian for a couple of days before we head out of the city to the wilds of Shaanxi Province. Our guide in this city is a charming local girl who likes us to call her 'Sheryl'. We are staying at the Shangri-La in the centre of town. This is a modern, luxurious hotel which is extremely comfortable. We get upgraded to a suite which has both a lounge and a kitchen. On our first night, we head down to the bar, where the professional band is leading visitors in a karaoke. The Shangri-La is not the best hotel in town, but I would definitely recommend it for comfort and location.

Like most of China, Xian is modernising and growing fast, but not in a way which neutralises or eliminates its rich history. You'd have to spend a lot more time here than we did to get under the skin of Xian; but thanks to our Sheryl, we had a brief but memorable visit.

Before Terracotta day, we spent time at the Big Goose Pagoda, the Buddhist temple which dates back to the seventh century; when Europe was largely rolling around in its own filth, the Chinese were building seven-storey temples designed to last thousands of years. And they have! It's quite an effort to get to the top, but worth it for a great view of the city. After a day walking around in the mid-summer heat, Sheryl took us to the perfect location: a Chinese foot spa. For just a few dollars, a polite and attentive local will give you the best foot bath you will ever have in your life. Sheryl sits in while I have mine, which is quite amusing. We ask our hostess for a dining spot which is not designed for tourists. She takes us to a big joint in the centre of town, where we order the local Chinese fortified wine. This stuff is so strong that I can only take a few sips of it. It must have been about 90% proof.

Just as well we didn't get dehydrated when we head out to the Terracotta Army. It is bloody hot here in July, and I'm smothered in 100% sun block.  Thankfully, Sheryl is calm and in control.

We drive to an area which looks like it is in the middle of nowhere. And it is. This was the spot where, in 1974 - with Mao still very much in power - the secret army of the first Qin Emperor was discovered. This is how UNESCO's world heritage site describes the find in a 1986 document:

In 1974, a chance discovery made the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang  one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. While  sinking a well 1.5 km from the exterior eastern wall of the  mausoleum's inner room, three peasants from the small village of Yangeun-west came upon a pit in which there were life-size terracotta statues of warriors. Excavations were immediately begun. Pit no 1 contained a veritable army of 1,087 warriors, the infantry and cavalry corps standing in battle formation with archers protecting the flanks. Today it is estimated that there are a potential 6,000 statues of warriors and horses in that one pit alone, which has floored galleries 230m long. It is now entirely enclosed by the site museum inaugurated on 1 October 1979.

Today, it is estimated there are over 8,000 soldiers in the Terracotta Army. Just a thousand of them have been uncovered and stand proudly in three large, covered pits. Some have been restored from many hundreds of fragments. Visitors - some two millions a year - can't get too close to them. This is very much a working archeological area. Apart from the security of guarding these priceless artefacts, there is the constant battle against decay caused by pollution and oxidisation. To appreciate the army to the fullest extent, bring a pair of binoculars and study each warrior closely. You will see that each one of them is unique, said to be modelled on a real person. There are many terracotta horses with the army, most of them amazingly intact or restored. There is a museum next to the excavation sites, which contains some of the fabulous riches of the First Emperor. Most impressive is this solid gold chariot and four horses. Qin liked to travel in style.

The soldiers may be showcased more impressively when they make the occasional trip to museums abroad, as part of some clever Chinese diplomacy, but you have to see their astonishing home for yourself, out here in the centre of the Middle Kingdom, and marvel at what might be uncovered in the hundred years ahead of us. By that time, when China will be the world's biggest economy and power, once again the greatest empire the world has ever known.

As we head back to Xian, Sheryl tells us she is taking us to a show in town. Yes, it's a display for the tourists, but how can I refuse our delightful guide when she tells me firmly but politely, 'You will enjoy'.

The next morning, Sheryl comes to pick us up for the trip to Xian airport. She has with her a giant watermelon, a gift from her mother, in return for a gift we gave her for being such a great guide. We say, naturally, that we are 'very honoured', and find the will to devour this giant fruit before it's time to head for the airport. Watermelon has never tasted so sweet as it did here in the home of the First Emperor.

We flew from Yichang to Xian on Hainan Airlines, www.hnair.com, which seemed to be an excellent and efficient service.


Accomodation
****
Service
****                                                                   
Dining
***                                                 
Location
****