CHINESE FARMER YANG ZHIFA WITH REPLICAS OF TERRACOTTA WARRIORS HE DISCOVERED IN XIAN, 2000-02-09 (photo)

Chinese farmer Yang Zhifa, 63, poses with replicas of his discovery which kicked off one of the greatest archaeological digs in history. Twenty-six years ago, Yang accidentally unearthed three of the 7,000 life-sized Terracotta Warriors guarding the tomb of China's first emperor Qin Shihuang. Local officials awarded him 10 yuan ( $1.2) for each of the three 2,200-year-old statues in 1974. The Warriors have become such a big business that more than 1.5 million tourists a year visit Xian, a grimy industrial city that once vied with ancient Rome and Constantinople as the greatest metropolis on earth. Picture taken January 27. ASW/