Shock moment tourist jumps into Terracotta Army clay warriors smashing statues

Shocking footage has captured the moment a tourist jumped over railings at the famous Terracotta Army display and damaged two of the ancient statues causing outrage.

The man, who has been identified only by his surname Sun, leapt into the 18ft deep pit which houses on May 30. The 30-year-old then was seen pushing the statues before being detained by museum security. Thereportedly said Sun suffers from a mental illness and an investigation will be carried out into the event which left fellow visitors to the iconic site in shock.

Footage on social media showed him lying on the ground in the pit and then rolling about in apparent pain while other visitors in the background looked on in horror at the damage he had caused.

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A statement from public security officials said Sun "climbed over the guardrail and the protective net and jumped". He then "pushed and pulled" the clay warriors and two were "damaged to varying degrees".

Local officials are now assessing the damage caused. Despite the incident, the exhibit remains open to the public as normal this week but an investigation is underway into how the man was able to cause the damage.

The Terracotta Army, which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987, is considered one of China's greatest archaeological treasures. It consists of over 8,000 life-sized soldiers created 2,000 years ago in an elaborate city-sized compound to guard the tomb of Qin Shi Huang - China's first emperor.

The city was built to provide Qin with everything he would need for the afterlife following his death at the age of 49 in 210 BC. When the site was found, the terracotta soldiers were emblazoned with bright and bold colours, but due to the sudden change in atmosphere when the city was reopened, their colours faded.

This latest incident comes after a man was detained for causing damage to an ancient throne in Vietnam last month. The suspect, named as 42-year-old Ho Van Phuong Tam, broke into the Nguyen dynasty throne exhibit on May 25.

A statement from the Hue Monuments Conservation Centre (HMCC) said Tam "snuck into the Nguyen dynasty display area, screamed and then broke the front left armrest".

Local media claims he bought a ticket to the exhibit before climbing into the roped-off area. Footage shows him sitting cross-legged on the ancient throne, reported the .

Tam was quickly arrested by the HMCC said he showed "signs of psychosis, screaming, and talking nonsense". He reportedly could "not answer the investigator's questions."