XI'AN, China -- In 1974, a farmer digging for water in this city of 7 million in northwestern China's Shaanxi Province struck pay dirt for the scientific and tourism worlds: Some shards of terra cotta that scientists quickly determined were fragments of a figure buried in the third century B.C.

The find at Xi'an, ancient capital of China and the terminus of the Silk Road, tantalized scholars, and they convinced the Chinese government to jump in to have the spot excavated. Over the next decade, an army of life-size terra-cotta figures of soldiers and horses, plus some brass chariots and battle gear, emerged. To date, the digs have yielded some 8,000 unique figures, and scientists say that's only a portion of what is there.

The government has developed the site with a museum and arenas over the ongoing archaeological digs, and the complex attracts and fascinates Chinese and foreign visitors by the thousands.

One should not travel halfway around the world to next summer's Olympics without making an extra effort to see the terra-cotta army, left in 210 B.C. to guard the nearby tomb of Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi. My brother Joe and I set aside a full day from our week in Beijing to visit the archaeological site, and while it was an exhausting day, we agreed it was worth every dime and every moment.

The trip cost us less than $500 each -- $300 for the round-trip air fare from Beijing to Xi'an and another $100 each for a tour of the warriors and other sites in a comfortable van with a personable English-speaking guide, including meals, plus the price of some souvenirs.

The travel office at our Wangfujing Grand Hotel set up the trip for us two days in advance, selling us the air tickets and reserving our van and guide.

The 80-minute Airbus flight to Xi'an was uneventful, except for the awful black bean curd they served for breakfast, perhaps the worst airline meal ever produced.

The modern terminal in Xi'an had English signs and good, clean restrooms, too. Our guide, Lilly, waited for us at the exit, holding a hand-lettered sign: "Joseph Peter Martin, Timoihy Martin." (Proper use of Asian surnames and given names still puzzles me after decades of writing and editing, and American names apparently return the favor for the Chinese. For some reason, they referred to Joe as "Mr. Peter" during our week, choosing to call him by the middle name on his passport.)

We found our driver in his big Hyundai van and drove out of the city through farmland while Lilly chattered on about this dynasty and that emperor. She spoke very proudly, too, about China's space efforts -- Xi'an is the Chinese equivalent of Cape Canaveral -- and of the work by the city's mayor to generate tourism.

I wanted to buy a replica of a warrior because one made in Xi'an would be of the same clay used in antiquity and our friend John Zambelli, whom we had left in Beijing at his Zambelli Technology International offices, said those bought anywhere else were cheap imitations and were prone to cracking.

We stopped for a good lunch, then drove to the government store where two girls about age 12 were shaping and carving the clay replicas. The stop began as if we were visiting a workshop, and we heard how the firing process and clay produced higher-quality figures, but it soon degenerated into a sales pitch for lacquered and mahogany furniture, porcelain, jade and trinkets, all displayed in adjoining rooms and pushed on us by an American-educated salesman calling himself David. We escaped only after I spent about $75 for the 19-inch replica. I carried this heavy guy all the way home, then I learned that the same figure can be bought on the Internet through a Chinese government store in Los Angeles for $185, shipped to your door.

But we felt delivered from David's sales pressure as we made the short drive to the museum and arenas covering the army's burial site. Our tour price included the $12 admission.

The complex consisted of four buildings, including a hall where two reassembled, half-life-size brass chariots were displayed with some swords and other battle gear, and three arenas that covered the pits where archaeological work was taking place.

Tourists jammed by the hundreds into the largest of the arenas and walked around its circumference, angling in the crowd for a spot to watch the digging about 20 feet below, where partially restored warriors and horses stood in rows, ready for battle. If only one could touch one of these amazing figures, the exact likeness of a soldier from 2,300 years ago. But my replica would have to do.

We spent about three hours absorbing these sights and fought our way through the obligatory gift shop and the locals hawking fox-skin hats and miniature warriors. In a nearby government shop, they propped up an old guy whom they said was the farmer who discovered the warriors. A big sign instructed in English that no photos of him were allowed, but you could buy a $16 souvenir book that he'd autograph, which we did.

Our tour also included a stop at the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a place that will ring meaningful bells only for students of ancient Buddhism.

Our guide Lilly said the mayor was working diligently to develop this seventh-century pagoda and temple as a tourist destination and said it was an important place to see. She also said the Chinese were much better off living in high-rise apartments than in single-family homes like Americans, but she admitted to having a poodle dog named "Babe" that she sometimes spoke to in English back at her place on the sixth floor.

Before leaving, we wrote on a tour comment card that the pagoda was a waste of time.

Lilly took us to the China Eastern counter at the airport, checked us onto our flight and walked us all the way to the departure gate. We got back to our hotel before 11, about 17 hours after we left.

During our visit we asked Lilly if she knew anything about Pittsburgh, and she replied, yes, she knew that our hometown was an industrial center and -- like all good Stillers fans -- she said Pittsburgh is where "still" was made.

We worked with her until she could say "steel."

If you can't get as far as China to see the terra-cotta warriors, there are other options to view samples from the huge excavation site.

An exhibit of a dozen of the warriors is at the British Museum in London until April 6. The show includes a chariot with horses and bronze birds. Tickets are 12 pounds ($24). The best way to get tickets is to line up by 5 a.m. each morning for a chance at the 500 tickets released daily. Learn more at www.britishmuseum.org.

Starting next spring the terra-cotta soldiers exhibit will make four stops at museums in the United States.

• Southern California: The Bowers Museum, 2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana, Calif., May 18-Oct. 12. Tickets on sale now. 1-714-567-3600. www.bowers.org.

• Texas: Houston Museum of Natural Science, One Hermann Circle Drive, Houston, May 18-Sept. 25. 1-713-639-4629. www.hmns. org.

• Washington D.C.: The National Geographic Museum, 17th and M streets NW, Nov. 19, 2008-March 31, 2010. 1-202-857-7588, www.nationalgeographic.com/museum

• Atlanta: High Museum of Art, 1280 Peachtree St. NE, Nov. 16, 2008-April 26, 2009. 1-404-733-4400 www.high.org.