9ChinaХs famous terra-cotta army has at least 8,000 soldiers More than 2,000 years ago, this army was created to protect the tomb of the ancient Chinese emperor Qin Shihuang. Today, the army has immense value to archaeologists and historians around the world This high-interest text uses maps, graphs, profiles of recent discoveries, and other features to introduce readers to the armyХs thrilling history.