Two thousand years ago, in order to conquer death itself, China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang commissioned a city of the dead: a 49-square-kilometer mausoleum guarded by a team of clay warriors, defending his grave for eternity.

When farmers near Xi'an excavated the first clay head in 1974, they opened up one of the biggest archaeological mysteries of mankind, discovering more than 8,000 clay warriors over the past 50 years. Now, the fragments of that dream of immortality rise again - this time in Perth, Australia's largest ever Terracotta Warriors Fair will be headed later this year

Opening on June 28 at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, Terracotta Warriors: The First Emperor’s legacy promises not only a glimpse of ancient China, but also crosses its foundations in more than 225 handicrafts, many of which never left China.

"It's hard to say how important this is," said Alec Coles, CEO of WA Museum Boola Bardip. "70% of these items have never been to Australia, and 40% have never left China."

"For me, this is the eighth miracle of the world," he said. "Nothing is more like this anywhere."

Terracotta Warriors, a collaboration with the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center and the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum Museum, has 10 lifespan clay soldiers – the maximum number allowed to leave China – each weighs 180 kg and is 180 million high. Each fighter is carefully crafted and ends with a unique model, capturing the personality of the living army.

In 2019, eight warrior sculptures went to Australia to attend the Victoria Show’s National Gallery of Clay Warriors: The Immortal Guardian.

The upcoming exhibition at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip will explore the story of China’s first emperor and the world he tries to recreate in death: bronze ships, ancient chariots, gilded belt hooks, painted cavalry figures and rare gold ornaments, rare gold ornaments, some new discoveries that have never been exhibited anywhere.

"Qin Shihuang not only unified China, he standardized measurements, currency and even language - and decades before carving Rosetta stones in Egypt," Coles said. "You have to consider the extraordinary impact he had in this very small period of time. The Qin Dynasty lasted for only 15 years, but it changed China forever."

Qin's story has an enduring mystery: his grave is still not opened, and its secret is sealed under a great dirt pyramid. Ancient historians describe a vast underground kingdom with a river of mercury and deadly idiot traps – the legendary exhibition of terracotta warriors will be reconceived in an immersive final installation.

"The patience and respect to leave the grave is extraordinary," Coles said. "Who knows what secrets are still buried?"

Highlights include a bronze swan, cast using the ancient lost wax method and found near a visitor garden for the emperor's afterlife. “It’s definitely exquisite,” Coles said.

The warriors of the pottery will also construct Qin's rule in a longer narrative arc, from the turbulent wartime period above, which began with the brief QIN dynasty in the second century BC and then to the rise of the Han Dynasty, which lasted for four centuries. In a world of political tensions, the exhibition will also signal toward the enduring power of cultural diplomacy.

“Cultural connections are important at all times, but maybe especially now,” Coles said. “They go beyond politics. Building stronger relationships and understanding is crucial.”

"I hope tourists can experience the same miracles as me," he added. "Beauty, rarity, achievement. And the appreciation of what Qin Shi Huang creates, not only for China, but also for human history."