The major exhibition marks a first for Australia and the world.
One of the world’s most significant art collections is coming to Australia this June – and it’s not Renoir or Picasso. In a global first, collaborating with China’s Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Centre and the Emperor Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, the WA Museum Boola Bardip presents Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor.
The monumental exhibition will feature over 225 authentic artefacts from the original archaeological site in China, including an assembly of the Terracotta Warriors themselves. It’s a historic occasion that marks a major milestone in the arts, not only for the Perth institution and the state of Western Australia, but for the world, too.
What makes this exhibition a global first?
Art enthusiasts and history buffs may be shaking their heads right now, so let’s clear up the details. While it’s true that a handful of objects from the Terracotta Warriors have made it Down Under before, it has never featured in a project of this scale.
The exhibition marks a first for Australia and the world. (Image: Getty Images/DNDavis)
As part of its Terracotta Warriors: Guardians Of Immortality exhibition in 2019, Melbourne’s National Gallery of Victoria displayed eight warriors and two horses from the collection, as well as two replica chariots. However, the majority of artefacts within the WA Museum Boola Bardip’s upcoming exhibition have not been to Australia. In fact, just under half of them have never even left China.
The WA Museum Boola Bardip will host the world-first exhibition. (Image: Tourism Western Australia)
But the real clincher? These ancient artefacts and intricate clay figures will be joined by a never-before-seen range of recently excavated objects. The items have remained hidden from the world until now, and Australians will be the first people to witness them on public display. No other exhibition has gathered the Terracotta Warriors and their related relics in such depth and scale – and that’s what makes it so special.
What else can I expect from the exhibition?
For some, seeing the warriors up close will be enough. Unearthed by chance in 1974, the life-sized soldiers (accompanied by horses, chariots, infantrymen and a variety of weapons) date back over 2200 years and are often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.
The collection, which numbers in the thousands, symbolises an important part of Chinese history, providing a rare and invaluable glimpse into the world of China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang. It also offers a direct insight into major societal systems such as the military and its structure, as well as more ordinary things like artistic techniques and daily life at the time.
The warriors are considered the unofficial Eighth Wonder of the World. (Image: Getty Images/Nikada)
But for those keen to delve deeper, there’s more to this exhibition than meets the eye. An immersive program has been designed to captivate and excite, featuring everything from large-scale projections and interactive experiences to behind-the-scenes tours and informative panel talks. Don’t miss Jade Nights each Friday, an after-dark event with live music, cultural performances and more.
Terracotta Warriors: Legacy of the First Emperor will run from 28 June 2025 to 22 February 2026 at the WA Museum Boola Bardip in Perth, Western Australia. Tickets are on sale now for $30 per person, with concession, senior and family rates available. Kids under four enter for free.
Taylah Darnell is Australian Traveller's Writer & Producer. She has been passionate about writing since she learnt to read, spending many hours either lost in the pages of books or attempting to write her own. This life-long love of words inspired her to study a Bachelor of Communication majoring in Creative Writing at the University of Technology Sydney, where she completed two editorial internships. She began her full-time career in publishing at Ocean Media before scoring her dream job with Australian Traveller. Now as Writer & Producer, Taylah passionately works across both digital platforms and print titles. When she's not wielding a red pen over magazine proofs, you can find Taylah among the aisles of a second-hand bookshop, following a good nature trail or cheering on her EPL team at 3am. While she's keen to visit places like Norway and New Zealand, her favourite place to explore will forever be her homeland.
Time your visit to Margaret River just right, and you can spend the ultimate weekend wining, dining and exploring the region with Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover.
Wine, world-class produce, surf, sun and beaches: it’s an alluring combination. And the reason so many pin the Margaret River region high on their travel hit-lists. There’s drawcard after drawcard to the southwestern corner of Western Australia, and the Pair’d Margaret River Region x Range Rover food and wine festival showcases the best of it over the course of one weekend in November. It’s never been easier to sip, see and savour the Margaret River region.
In partnership with Pair’d Margaret River Region, Range Rover invites you on a seven-day itinerary of refined adventure, where luxury and exploration go hand in hand. It’s the perfect WA road trip, and there’s no better way to do it than in a Range Rover.
Day 1
Check into Pullman Bunker Bay.
There’s no more popular West Australian road trip route than that between Perth and the Margaret River Region. It’s an easily digestible, three-hour drive, with worthy pit stops along the way.
Make the first of them one hour and 15 minutes in, at Lake Clifton. Here, find a 2000-year-old living thrombolite reef. Drive for a further 40 minutes and chance meeting some of Bunbury’s dolphin population at Koombana Bay.
Pullman Bunker Bay is the final stop, just over three hours south of Perth. This beachfront, five-star resort is the ultimate base for exploring the Margaret River Wine region.
Day 2
After a leisurely morning breakfast with an ocean view, start your Range Rover and head towards the Dunsborough town centre. Browsing the decidedly coastal-themed goods of the town’s many independent boutiques is a great way to while away the hours, breaking up the sartorial with an artisan gelato snack stop, or some good old-fashioned Australian bakery fare.
Leave room; you’ll need it for the Good Natured Gathering dinner at Wayfinder. Indulge in a four-course feast by chef Felipe Montiel, which uses produce from the winery’s market garden to enhance a selection of sustainably sourced seafood and meat. But food is just the support act. It’s organic wine that’s the star of the show, generously poured and expertly paired to each dish.
Day 3
Settle in for cabernet at Cape Mentelle Winery.
With a grand total of 20 wines from vintage 2022 to try, it’s a good thing Cape Mentelle’s International Cabernet Tasting kicks off early. Make your way to the estate for a 10:00 AM start, where a global selection of wines will be poured blind, before a long lunch by Tiller Dining is served.
Given that the Margaret River is responsible for more than 20 per cent of Australia’s fine wine production, it’s only right to delve into it while in the area.
Continue exploring the region via taste and terroir aboard Alison Maree, a whale-watching catamaran, as you cruise Geographe Bay . Admire the rolling green hills and crisp white beaches of Quindalup in sunset’s golden light, all the while sipping through the Clairault Streicker catalogue and dining on canapes.
For a more substantial dinner, venture into Busselton for a seven-course British x Australian mash-up , courtesy of Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion) and Oliver Kent (Updown Farmhouse, UK). They’ll be putting their rustic yet refined spin on the likes of local marron, wagyu and abalone – championing the simple beauty of the world-class ingredients.
Day 4
Elevate your dining experiences at Pair’d X Range Rover Beach Club.
Wrap your fingers around a wine glass and wiggle your toes into the sand at Pair’d Beach Club x Range Rover on Meelup Beach. Sit down to an intimate wine session with sommelier Cyndal Petty – or a four-course feast by Aaron Carr of Yarri – and revel in the open-air beach club, bar and restaurant’s laidback coastal vibe. It’s a whole new way to experience one of the region’s most renowned beaches.
Follow up a day in the sun with a casual Italian party at Mr Barvel Wines . Purchase wines –including the elusive, sold-out Nebbia – by the glass and enjoy canapes with the towering Karri forest as a backdrop.
If you’d prefer to keep it local, head to Skigh Wines for the New Wave Gathering , where the region’s independent wine makers and their boundary-pushing wines will be on show. Street-style eats, a DJ and complimentary wine masterclasses complete the experience.
Day 5
Taste your way through Howard Park Wines. (Image: C J Maddock)
Spend the morning at your leisure, driving the winding roads through the Boranup Karri forest in your Range Rover. Soak in the views at Contos Beach, and call into the small cheese, chocolate and preserve producers along the way.
Make your next stop Howard Park Wines for The Grand Tasting presented by Singapore Airlines . Numerous wine labels will be pouring their catalogues over four hours, accompanied by food from chefs Matt Moran and Silvia Colloca, with live opera providing the soundtrack.
Cap off a big weekend with one last hurrah at Busselton Pavilion. Six ‘local legends’ – chefs Brendan Pratt (Busselton Pavilion), Mal Chow (Chow’s Table), Aaron Carr (Yarri), Ben Jacob (Lagoon Yallingup), Corey Rozario (Dahl Daddies) and Laura Koentjoro (Banksia Tavern) – will be preparing a dish each. Dance the night away as vinyl spins and the sun sets on another day.
Day 6
Head underground. (Image: Tourism WA)
After a busy few days of wining and dining, it’s wise to observe a rest day. There’s no easier task than unwinding in the Margaret River Region, also famous for its high concentration of world-class beaches.
Relax on the grassy knoll as you watch the region’s most experienced surfers braving the World Surf League break at Surfer’s Point, or don your own wetsuit and try out one of Gracetown’s more beginner-friendly waves. Swimmers will find their Eden at Meelup Beach, Eagle Bay, or Point Piquet, where the sand is brilliantly white and the water as still as a backyard swimming pool.
Not into sun, sand, and surf? Head underground at Mammoth Cave, just one of the region’s many stalactite-filled caves.
Day 7
Farewell the Margaret River.
Pack up your Range Rover with new favourite wines and newfound memories, ready for the three-hour journey back to Perth.
