Perth's Terracotta Warriors are set to appear on the streets as life-sized lanterns, expanding the existing museum exhibition. A total of 80 brightly coloured lanterns will be displayed at Forrest Place from Friday night, matching the size and shape of the terracotta warriors currently housed at the Western Australian Museum.
The lanterns, which first debuted at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, will remain at Forrest Place until November 9 before moving to Elizabeth Quay until late November. They will then be relocated to WA Museum Boola Bardip for the Christmas Lights season, staying until the end of February.
On loan from the Beijing Chaoyang International Cultural Exchange Association, the lanterns complement the terracotta warriors themselves, which are also on loan from China. Premier Roger Cook praised the expansion, noting the exhibition's success and global appeal.
“Few places in the world have got the size and the breadth of the Terracotta Warrior exhibit that we have here in Western Australia,” Cook said. “It’s an absolute coup, people are coming from all over the world to experience this exhibition.”
The expansion follows a strong start to the exhibition, with museum visits already nearing projected figures for the full eight-month run. Around 160,000 people have seen the warriors so far, with an estimated 170,000 more expected. Initial projections anticipated 180,000 total visitors. A quarter of visitors have come from interstate, and 11 per cent from overseas.
Western Australian Museum chief executive officer Alec Cole described the exhibition as a wild success. “This is easily going to be the most popular exhibition the museum has ever staged, certainly the most impressive,” he said, highlighting its role in building international relations with Chinese institutions.
