China’s famous Terracotta Warriors are set to be displayed in Liverpool in 2018.
The iconic sculptures will be heading to the city’s World Museum in two years’ time for its first major UK exhibit outside of London in over three decades.
Karen Bradley MP, the Government’s secretary for Culture, Media and Sport, made the announcement during a visit to the tomb of Qin Shi Huang.
She said: “The Terracotta Army represents one of the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century.
“I’m delighted that a selection of the warriors will be coming to Liverpool for the first time in 2018.
“I’m sure the exhibition will be very warmly received by the people of Merseyside and beyond as Britain welcomes back the Terracotta Warriors.
“It will also encourage an ongoing cultural exchange between China and Britain, further progressing the relationship between our two nations and strengthening lasting ties.”
The World Museum’s exhibition will form a large part of Liverpool’s celebrates to mark a decade since the city was European Capital of Culture in 2008.
Planned to run from February to October 2018, visitors will be given a glimpse into the extraordinary story of Qin Shi Huangdi, whose vast burial site and tomb complex was discovered near Xi’an in North West China in 1974.
The story of the tomb’s Terracotta Warriors will be displayed alongside important artefacts and research relating to the formative years of the Chinese nation, from the pre-unification Qin Kings to the First Emperor’s legacy in the Han Dynasty.
David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool, said: “We are hugely excited to have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to bring an exhibition of such international importance to World Museum, and to be working with Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Bureau in this valuable cultural exchange.
“Following the success of our Mayas exhibition in 2015, and the re-opening of our Ancient Egypt gallery in 2017, this is a significant time for World Museum and National Museums Liverpool.
“An exhibition of this scale is sure to attract visitors from all over the UK and Europe, with an unmissable opportunity to see artefacts of great historical importance in the flesh.
“Liverpool has the oldest Chinese community in Europe, and we are proud to be strengthening the city’s connections with other cultural organisations in China and creating an exhibition programme that continues to excite and inspire visitors from across the globe.”