Thousands of life-sized terracotta warriors guard the grave of Emperior Qin Shi Huang

Though the relatively prosperous inland city of Xi'an was the imperial capital for 11 dynasties between 1000BC and 1000AD, it would be a long way off the tourist trail if it hadn't been the capital and final resting place of China's first emperor Qin Shi Huang (260BC-210BC).

Naturally, 2,000 years of ruling the country have left intriguing remains in the form of pagodas, city walls, temples and relics in the city's great museums.

But it is Qin Shi Huang's grave site that really draws in the crowds. Here, a series of vaults preserve 10,000 life-sized terracotta warriors in war formation that stand guard over his tomb.

Each soldier has unique facial features, posture, clothing and hairstyle - each thought to have been modeled on a member of the imperial guard - producing an unnervingly realistic glimpse of the past.