Yang Zhifa

This is a Chinese name; the family name is Yang.

Yang Zhifa (杨志发, born 1933) is one of the discoverers of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.^[1] For many years, he worked in a small souvenir shop within the museum of the mausoleum, where he was signing books sold to the tourists.^[2] Today, he is often replaced by impostors pretending to be the real Yang Zhifa or one of the other discoverers to increase the book sales.^[3]

Even though he is officially recognized as the main discoverer, his name doesn't appear on the explanatory board inside the museum and he is only rarely mentioned, the discoverers being generally described as « a group of paysants », without specific reference to the individuals.

Biography

Discovery

The 23 March 1974,^[4] Yang Zhifa, 41 years old, living in Xiyang, a village of the Lintong county^[5] 35 kilometers East from the city of Xi'an^[6] · ,^[7] decides, in the middle of a draught, to dig a well with his five brothers — Yang Wenhai, Yang Yanxin, Yang Quanyi, Yang Peiyan and Yang Xinam — and Wang Puzhi^[8] to water their crops. They chose a little wood South of their village ; five days later, the well reaches 15 metres depth and, bringing up dirt, Zhifa notices a terracotta head and a bronze arrowhead.

Rewards

Immediately, he informs authorities of his discovery. They dispatch a team of archeologists on the site. The government offers him 300 yuans as a reward, equivalent to one year of his salary of peasant. Evicted from his 167 square meters land together with the other villagers for archeologic and touristic needs, the government grants him a land in Qinyong, a neighboring village, on which he builds his house.^[9] When the site becomes accessible to the public, he is hired by the museum, in which he signs books in a souvenir shop, six days a week, from 9 to 17,^[10] for a salary of CNY 300 per month, which will increase up to CNY 1000 when he retires.^[11]

In 1998, Yang Zhifa had the privilege of shaking President of the United States Bill Clinton's hand on the occasion of his visit of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.^[12]

Other discoverers

Of the seven discoverers, only four are still alive: Yang Zhifa, Yang Quanyi, Yang Peiyan and Yang Xinman. Wang Puzhi kills himself in 1997 while Yang Wenhai and Yang Yanxin die in their 50s of diseases, too poor to afford the medication necessary for their healing.^[13]

References

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