I suspect they are the type of people who would find something to upset them even in Utopia but there were others with more specific grumbles that are harder to dismiss out of hand.

One group's reason for discontent came down to number crunching. Despite the platoons of soldiers in their neat ranks there wasn't enough of them to satisfy a demanding few. "It's billed as an army of thousands, but count them, there's a few hundred at most" was a typical comment.

It didn't matter to them that an army of hundreds is still a force to be reckoned with. Irrelevant to them that those on display were exquisite, each an individual work of art. They simply wanted more of them. Perhaps that alone provides a better insight into modern living than the ancient one on view. Portraying a greed for more that is indicative of a consumer society that has lost sight of what is important.

To be fair to them though, visitors do have to wade through a mass of shops, stalls, kiosks and fast-food outlets before they reach the relative sanctity of the site itself. It should come as little surprise that their thoughts are based so strongly on 21st century ideals when they have run the gauntlet of sellers and tour guides on their way in. If there was one complaint that should be acted on, perhaps this was it. The approach, full of commercialism could be modified to be less intense.

But that only goes so far to explain the negative comments. Go to the Acropolis in Greece, Colosseum in Rome, Angkor complex in Cambodia or the Pyramids in Egypt and you will face the same retail distractions. Perhaps not in such strength of depth or arranged in such a maze but they are there.

As disconcerting as it was to hear, the rumble of moans served as a valuable lesson. It shook me out of my own complacent adoration of the buried Qin force. Made me re-evaluate what it was like seeing the discovery through unscholarly or disenchanted eyes.

I still fervently believe there is enough on display to engage and captivate even the most casual observer. However, if you're not casual, if you're a "quantity over quality" sort of traveler, you maybe best advised to postpone your visit, at least until some more Terra-cotta reinforcements are unearthed and your super-sized appetite can be satisfied.

The author is a communications professional, film maker and published writer with a keen interest in life.

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