Tourist Jumps Into Display of Clay Warriors, Damaging 2

Two clay warriors that survived more than 2,000 years without incident have been damaged by a Chinese tourist who jumped into an 18-foot-deep pit to reach them. The 30-year-old "climbed over the guardrail and the protective net" on Friday, took his leap, then "pushed and pulled" the warriors in the ancient terracotta army displayed near the city of Xi'an, security officials said in a statement. The statement said the tourist, who was stopped by security personnel, was found to be mentally ill, AFP reports.

The first signs of the terracotta army, a force of 8,000, plus horses, were unearthed in 1974. It was made around 209 BC to watch over the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, who had proclaimed himself China's first emperor, per Smithsonian Magazine. The tourist attraction has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1987. The famous warriors occasionally have been part of traveling exhibitions, including several to the US. A worker at the museum said on Saturday that the museum was open. (More China stories.)