FOR more than 2,200 years the legions of faithful warriors have protected the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first Emperor of a united China.

They have stood guard, solemn and still, concealed from the outside world for centuries as dynasty succeeded dynasty, warlord fought warlord, colonialists were repulsed and revolution swept the land. Only in 1974 were they discovered, when farmers drilling for water near the ancient city of Xian found the first shards of pottery that indicated their presence.

But now, after all that time, they have been infiltrated. By a German.

Last weekend Pablo Wendel, 26, an art student said to be obsessed with the terracotta army, donned his camouflage — a cleverly reproduced matching costume — slipped past the security measures and leapt into the pit where 2,000 of the warriors and their horses stand on display beneath an arching hangar roof.

Six officers — of the flesh variety — who were on duty at one of the most popular tourist sites in China glimpsed a sudden movement. Rushing down into the pit they tried to hunt down the intruder.

But like all great military thinkers, Herr Wendel had done his homework. A few days earlier he had carried out a reconnaissance mission to the museum and chosen a spot among the warriors that would give him the best cover. He had designed a suitable gown and hat to blend in, and had even brought with him a rectangular plinth similar to those on which all the warriors stand. After he had jumped into the pit, he donned his costume, camouflaged his face and waited.

It took the police a full two minutes to distinguish animate from inanimate as the infiltrator stood ramrod stiff and stared unblinkingly ahead. One officer said: “I got to the area where he was supposed to be, looked around and didn’t see him — he looked too much like a terracotta warrior.” Herr Wendel refused to leave and had to be carried out, still in his straight-backed warrior pose. He said: “I have always dreamt of disguising myself as a terracotta warrior among the real ones.”

The young German was given a severe reprimand but no charges were filed, in part because he had caused no damage and was clearly passionate about his subject, and in part because he had been the source of some amusement for his captors. His costume, however, was confiscated and he was sent back to his art college, in the eastern city of Hangzhou.

His eviction was reported with relish by the Chinese media. One newspaper told the story in the style of a cartoon strip with Herr Wendel’s speech bubbles reading: “No matter what you say, I’m not leaving.” Then, as the police manhandle him out of the pit: “It’s worth being thrown out just to be a warrior for a moment.”

The three pits of warriors, each including infantry and cavalry with life-size spears, bows, chariots and horses, are listed as a Unesco World Heritage site and are regarded as one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century. More than 40 million visitors have been shepherded around the pits as more and more figures — there may be as many as 8,000 altogether — have been unearthed.

The warriors stand in battle formation with their backs to the tombs of the Emperor and his retinue, ready for any invasion.

Well, almost any invasion.

STANDING GUARD

210 BC Emperor Qin and retunue buried with life-sized terracotta army

700,000 labourers estimated to have worked on his mausoleum

1974 site rediscovered by farmers

22,000 square metres excavated

8,000 warriors estimated at site

40,000 visitors daily at peak time

£10m annual ticket revenue

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