Hungarian museum ready for treasures of ancient China

The first of two life-sized Chinese terracotta warriors which will be displayed at the "Treasures of Ancient China" exhibition is unpacked at the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan 29, 2015. [Photo/Xinhua]

The first of two life-sized Chinese terracotta soldiers included in a forthcoming exhibition, Treasures of Ancient China, was unpacked at the Budapest Museum of Applied Arts on Thursday.

The kneeling soldier, recovered from the grave of the first Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang, who died in 210 BC, is believed to have been holding a wooden sword. The second terracotta warrior, standing, will be ready for showing within the next few days.

The exhibition, to include over 150 works of art, will open on Feb 6 and remain open until April 19.

This will be the first time in 28 years that Hungarian audiences get to see pieces from Qin Shi Huang's life-sized terracotta army, which was first discovered in 1974.

Much of the exhibit comes from the Shaanxi History Museum, the Nanjing Municipal Museum, and the Chengde Palace Museum.

In all, the exhibit will cover periods of Chinese history ranging from Neolithic through its Buddhist art and porcelain, and continuing up to and including the 18th century.