Overview

• On May 30, a 30-year-old man surnamed Sun scaled guardrails and protective netting to jump 18 feet into an excavation pit at the Museum of the Terracotta Army in Xi’an, where he damaged two life-sized clay warriors.
• Local public security officials confirmed the visitor was suffering from a diagnosed mental illness and that he pushed and pulled the ancient statues before security staff subdued him.
• Despite the incident, the UNESCO World Heritage site has remained open to the public while authorities conduct an official investigation into the damage.
• Similar acts of vandalism at UNESCO-designated sites in Vietnam and Peru have underscored broader challenges in preserving cultural heritage against intentional damage.
• Authorities have pledged to review and strengthen barrier systems and surveillance protocols to better safeguard the 2,000-year-old archaeological treasures.