Because of the constant threat of invasion from the north, the Emperor started construction of the largest man-made structure in the world – the Great Wall of China. There were as many as one million workers constructing the wall, mainly convicts, and an estimated 250,000 died as a result. It indicates how rich in produce China was at this time, to support this and other great Imperial projects. It was also greatly dependent on the peace throughout China his unified rule had brought. Immense palaces were also built; one was large enough to accommodate 10,000 guests in the upper storey of its main hall.

The Emperor was very concerned with immortality, and following previous custom he started work on his tomb with a view to reincarnation with the artefacts he desired to be with him. Si Ma Qian, a Chinese historian, wrote an account of the tomb complex, about 100 years after the death of the first Emperor, and this was the only written account for the next 2,000 years. He described the main tomb, the size of a football pitch, containing an enormous cast bronze map of the known world with seas and rivers of flowing mercury. It was considered so far-fetched that no one believed it. Up to 700,000 workers (again many of them convicts) toiled for 20 years to complete the Tomb complex. When completed it was to be covered in soil to hide its entrances, as, of course, the Emperor did not want anyone to interfere with the Tomb after his death. The main Tomb complex is the greatest mausoleum on earth even compared with the Egyptian pyramids.

There had been an assassination attempt on the King in 227 BC, which caused him to be concerned about his safety for the rest of his life. He also feared revenge in the afterlife from all the people he had killed, so he decided he needed an army to guard him in the afterlife, made of pottery as it would last forever.

He had previously declared himself a God, so in 219 BC, when his Tomb was nearing completion he decided he would live for ever and would not need it. To assist his longevity he was advised to take mercury compounds as they were thought to extend life, but in reality they are poisonous and started to affect his brain, making him increasingly paranoid. He even sent out people to search for the mythical elixir of life. Continued use of mercury made him retire further into seclusion and become delusional. He made his final tour of China in 212 BC, and discovered the misery of his people. Even though China was immensely productive, the massive Imperial projects utilising millions of workers could not be sustained. Poverty and famine caused serious unrest throughout the land. The First Emperor died, most likely from mercury poisoning, during his return journey to his capital Zianyang, just north of the present Xian.

His Ministers had been plotting to replace him after his death with a younger son rather than the rightful heir, as the latter was considered to be too close in style to his father. There was a power struggle and the younger son was made Emperor. Although he had all his brothers killed to remove their future threat, the peasants revolted, the new Emperor was murdered and the Dynasty of the First Empire ended in only 207 BC.

Terracotta warriors

In 210 BC, in the aftermath of the First Emperors death, when fighting broke out between the various factions, some of the underground chambers of his tomb were broken into, pottery figures were smashed and some of the structures burnt. However, after this the whole complex was forgotten until 1974, when two farmers digging a well found pieces of pottery. They reported it to the local authorities that called in experts and excavations started at a site one kilometre from the main Tomb. What they found was amazing. The Emperor had constructed an army of 8,000 life-sized pottery figures of soldiers together with horses and chariots. Previous pottery figures in tombs had been significantly smaller. The clay bodies had to be hollow so they did not crack when fired – although probably a large number still did, as they were very large complex pottery structures. It is amazing that such fantastic ceramic objects were made at this early date. They were constructed in moulds, but had added detail making every one different. They were painted in bright colours, but were found to fade rapidly in daylight. They were very realistic, in proper formation for battle, and had very fine bronze weapons. Some of these weapons appeared to have been used in actual battle. The swords were longer than conventional ones and the soldiers had better armour, perhaps explaining the First Emperors success in battle.  Now some 180 pits have been discovered, including some containing ceramic models of entertainers, so the whole complex seems to represent an underground city. Several very large pits have been excavated and covered with extensive buildings to protect the fabulous pottery figures. However, most excavation work has stopped with only a quarter of the estimated 8,000-man army exposed until a solution can be found to the problem of colour fading when they are exposed to the air. Many of the exposed and broken figures have been restored and re-sited as they were originally. The central tomb has not been excavated yet, as the authorities are not keen to disturb it. There is a curse on the tomb, that if it is desecrated, the government of the time will fail. As the Chinese tend to be more superstitious than religious, this can be appreciated. However, recent soil samples taken from the main tomb area do show high levels of mercury, so the account written by Si Ma Chien, which no longer seem so incredible, may indicate an unimaginable treasure still awaiting discovery.