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One of the highlights of the 2017 Chinese New Year celebrations in Manchester was the army of seven foot high warriors which took up guard in Exchange Square on the slopes and pavements outside Selfridges and the Corn Exchange, opposite the Arndale Centre. The warriors formed the internationally acclaimed travelling art installation called The Lanterns of the Terracotta Warriors. This collection of forty, brightly coloured lanterns lit up Exchange Square for four evenings between 4pm and 9pm during the festivities to mark the year of the rooster.

The exhibition, which was created by artist Xia Nan for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, includes thirty-five fighters, a royal family, and two huge horses, was inspired by the famous ‘terracotta army’ Link which dates from 210BC and was uncovered in 1974 guarding the tomb of Qin Shi Huang the first emperor of China. The replica warriors are modelled on some of the original 8,000 or more clay statues. They are made from metal wire, cloth, and moulded plastic, each model taking three artists three days to complete.

Archive Link The Lanterns of Terracotta Warriors Exhibition