An Immortal Death

  

The first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, was terrified of death. He travelled far and wide to search out the elixir of immortality. He searched in vain. He also sent others to search for the elixir, but most of them did not return, presumably because they knew they would be killed if they returned empty-handed. In fact, Emperor Qin Shi Huang died of mercury poisoning from pills that scientists told him would make him live forever. Extremely superstitious, Qin Shi Huang built underground tunnels around the palace so he could walk around without being seen by evil spirits. And he ordered thousands of men to spend four decades building his tomb, complete with the famous 6,000 Terracotta Warriors who exist to protect him in the afterlife. Ironically, his fear of death has granted him a slice of immortality—thousands of years later, tourists from all over the world still pay homage to Qin Shi Huang.

 Meilina, Kaitlyn and I visited the Terracotta Warriors and Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s tomb yesterday. It was fascinating. These warriors—each with distinct and detailed facial features, military ranks, and weaponry—took us right back to 221 BC, when the kingdom of Qin conquered neighboring kingdoms and unified China for the first time. Seeing rows and rows of stone faces was a bit eerie for me, as I thought of the real people who lived in Xi’an 2,000 years ago. The pits are still being excavated, so I’ll have to come back in another 20 years and see what else they’ve discovered. We even got to see some archaeologists at work! So much to learn, and so much we don’t know yet.
      On a more spiritual note, I find it very interesting that so many people have tried to find immortality. Fear of death is extremely natural. Who wants to cease to exist? I find great comfort in the knowledge that there is life after death. I believe that God is interested in the immortality and eternal life of all His children. Even Qin Shi Huangdi.
    
P.S. Happy Birthday Lanaea! I love you!

Uncovering the secrets of ancient China--nbd.

Having fun in the garden behind the tomb--only afterwards did it occur to me that jumping for joy over Qin Shi Huangdi's tomb might be slightly irreverent.