The Wendel Show

With nearly 2 million visitors annually, somebody jumping into the terracotta pit is bound to happen. Well, someone has done it.



Pablo Wendel, whose Chinese name is Ma Lin, had carried out a reconnaisance mission on the site, selected the best spot for himself and went back to design his own costume and a get himself a plinth to stand on and prepare for the perfect execution of his plan to realize his childhood fantasy - becoming a terracotta warrior himself !

September 16 2006 at 2pm, Mr. Wendel carried out his Mission Impossible.

After more than 2,200 years, the world's most magnificent standing army had stood guard protecting the tomb of China's first Emperor - Qin Shihuang, it has now been infiltrated, by a German!


"What you doing??"
"No matter what you say, I'm not leaving."


The man persisted with his pose.


He then prostrates to resist being chased away. As police officers manhandles him: "It's worth being thrown out just to be a warrior for a moment."

The speech bubbles came from one Chinese newspaper. I call it "The Wendel Comedy/Show".

The 26-year-old man is currently studying performance art in Hangzhou was severely reprimanded and had his costumes confiscated but no charges was filed against him. Probably he had amused his captors and no damages were done.




He was sent back to Hangzhou by a local police.