02.06.2025 13:01
At the world-famous Terracotta Army museum in China, a tourist damaged 2,000-year-old ancient statues by crossing the protective barriers and security nets. The 30-year-old man, known only by his surname Sun, caused visible damage to two ancient statues due to his aggressive behavior. Authorities stated that the assailant was suffering from mental illness and have launched an investigation.
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A shocking act of vandalism occurred in China. A tourist jumped into the world-famous Terracotta Army museum and damaged 2,000-year-old ancient statues.
On Friday, in an incident at the museum in Xi'an city, a 30-year-old man, whose surname was only given as Sun, jumped over the protective barriers and security nets. The man, who jumped into the protective area about 5.5 meters deep, began to push and pull the priceless clay statues inside.
As a result of his aggressive behavior, visible damage occurred to two ancient statues. Museum security personnel quickly intervened and subdued the man. Authorities stated that the individual responsible for the incident was suffering from mental illness and that an investigation had been launched.
The Terracotta Army consists of over 8,000 life-sized soldier statues made 2,000 years ago to protect the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. This unique collection, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987, is considered one of the country's most important archaeological treasures and attracts millions of visitors each year.
Despite the shocking incident, museum officials stated that the exhibition continues to remain open to the public and that repair work on the damaged statues has begun.
This incident is just one of a series of vandalism cases that have occurred at world heritage sites in recent months. Last month, in Vietnam, a 42-year-old man named Ho Van Phuong Tam damaged a 200-year-old wooden artifact belonging to the Nguyen dynasty. The man, who climbed onto the red-gold decorated wooden structure at the Thai Hoa Palace in Hue city, broke the armrest. Authorities stated that the man showed signs of psychosis and was intoxicated.
Similarly, in Peru, a vandal spray-painted a sexual organ on the 600-year-old wall of the ancient city of Chan Chan, located north of Lima. The Peruvian Ministry of Culture described this act as a "serious disrespect to our history and cultural heritage."
These incidents raise growing concerns about the protection of cultural heritage sites worldwide and highlight the need for a review of security measures.
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