Lanterns of Terracotta Warriors

How do you lift your spirits on a day when the rain is pelting down, your umbrella has given up all hope and succumbed to the wind and your so-called waterproof boots allow every puddle you walk through to turn your socks into a soggy mass? You defy the elements, stick on a smile and go find something to lighten your life.
The Chinese New Year saw Edinburgh host the Lanterns of Terracotta Warriors exhibition held in the magnificent surroundings of the University of Edinburgh's historic Quad. Created by the talented Chinese artist Xia Nan for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, this is the first time this incredible display has been seen in Scotland. Xia Nan gained inspiration for his work from the army of terracotta warriors discovered in 1974 when the tomb of the 3rd century BC Chinese emperor Qin Shi Huang was unearthed in the country's Xi'an province. An underground vault of some 12,000 square metres was found to house a staggering 8,000 terracotta sculptures, an incredible scene depicting warriors and their horses arranged in battle formation. Many believe they were created to defend the emperor's immortal soul. Some undertaking!! I hope his soul was worth it.  
Xia Nan used traditional Chinese lantern designs to accurately represent these terracotta soldiers, but also included in his work women and children arranged in groups. He chose to humanise this mind-blowing historic discovery by adding these touches, and 90 brightly coloured figures, some 2.5metres tall, arrived to populate the Old College quadrangle for the Chinese New Year. Every evening this striking display, lit from within, burst forth against the darkening night skies. The visual impact of this lantern army must be seen, so breath-taking is its impact. The rain may be bouncing of the rooftops, the wind whistling through every nook and cranny, but this exhibition brings a ray of sunshine into the depths of a miserable winter. You can walk amongst them, see close up the amount of work that has gone into bringing them to life. What a beautifully artistic way to welcome the Chinese New Year. One can only imagine the amount of work that went into creating these figures and bringing them to life. Tender moments, the expectant mother with her family, mingling with the might of the army, the warriors, the horse ...... every figure a work of art, every work of art created with love and dedication. Thank you Edinburgh and the Confucius Institute for Scotland for bringing this here for our enjoyment.