Terracotta warriors and horses of ancient China's Qin Dynasty (221-206 B.C.) were displayed in the newly constructed showroom at the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum in Xi'an, capital of northwest China's Shaanxi Province, Dec. 25, 2007. The new showroom of the museum were opened to the public at the end of December after about eight months' construction. Over 3,000 cultural relics were displayed in the showroom, about 600 of which will be shown to the public for the first time.

Among the spectacular terra cotta warriors, one warrior stands out from all the rest. Now the public will have a chance to see him.

 

This special terra cotta warrior has a green face. Its hair, moustache, and pupils are black like the other warriors. But this is the only statue among thousands dug up over the past 20 years with a green face.

 

The piece was unearthed in 1999 at pit number two, where the terra cotta warriors once stood guard at the mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang. Ever since it was discovered in the suburbs of Xi'an, the statue has aroused the curiosity of researchers. Theories abound as to why this one soldier was given a green face. But there's no satisfying answer amid the theories. The green warrior is rarely shown to the public.