There is a long, steep walk up a series of uneven and awkward concrete steps to the summit of a man-made hill. Having made it to the top, we were now standing over the mausoleum of Ying Zheng, the first emperor of the Qin dynasty back in 221 BC. The view from the top is truly wonderful, and as the song goes, "on a clear day you can see forever." Other than the view and a number of manicured potted trees, there is nothing else up here, so we took a steady walk down, avoiding the many tourists posing on the steps for photographs.

Our timing couldn’t have been better, because within seconds, we heard the somber beating of drums and the wailing of horns. We were about to see a reconstruction parade of early Chinese warriors. It was certainly noisy and extremely colourful, with often clashing colours – pinks and oranges, blues and turquoises, lilacs and greens – sharing the same attire. Strange hats balanced precariously on the heads of the young actors as they seriously performed their role. Leather-armoured warriors tried to look ferocious as they swaggered with mock war-like strides, thrusting their pikes at the onlookers.

I was never sure what this pageant was representing, but it really didn’t matter as we watched large flags fluttering in the gentle breeze and felt the drum beats as they resonated around the small arena. Large males strutted with ungainly posture to the clashing of cymbals, waving large lances at each other in a semi-menacing war dance. I’m not sure if I’m alone in this, but I just couldn’t resist joining the parade as it began its final march around the small cobbled arena.

Small horse and traps waited near to the arena offering rides around the park. This is the downside of an organised tour, because we were unable to consider a ride due to the time restrain. Not to worry, we went to explore inscribed bamboo slip-wall. I’m sure this is highly significant, but all I can say is it’s long, inscribed, and made of bamboo! Formal gardens abound at this site, and they are interspersed with strange carved mythical animals just small enough to trip over if you’re not careful. The spring blossom was just beginning to burst through and gave super eruption of colour as we wandered the grounds.

There’s a small museum here showing some of the "cultural relics" (including armour and helmet, bronze axes and daggers, and some amazingly intact bronze pots and jars) and a chance to view the remains of an ancient drainage system.

We enjoyed this visit, but only pop in if you’ve got the time!