"Hero" is set in ancient China more than 2,000 years ago, when Ying Zheng, or Qinshihuang, was fighting to unify the country.

"Zhang Yimou demonstrated true artistic flair in the shooting of those battle scenes in ancient China. It was as if he had revived the terra-cotta horses and warriors in Xi'an," said Guo Shuzhen, a research fellow with the Terra-cotta Museum of northwest China's Shaanxi Province.

"The scenes of numerous arrows and bolts flying through the sky are about the same as those of real wars more than 2,000 years ago," said Guo, who has studied the military history of the Kingdom of Qin for many years. Qin defeated all its rival kingdoms through years of intense warfare.

"The crossbow men specialized in striking enemies from long distances had risen to 'top gun' among the Qin Kingdom's armed services during the period when Ying Zheng scored victory over other kingdoms and unified China," Guo said.

Kingdoms in ancient China had long placed emphasis on the importance of their military forces' long range combativeness, Guo said, adding that shooting arrows and bolts was a requirement for the elite of the period.

Guo said the terra-cotta horses and warriors had proved that the Qin Kingdom's army was very strong in long-range warfare, given that tens of thousands of arrows were unearthed in the terra-cotta site in Xi'an.

"The powerful long range combat capability of the Qin Kingdom's troops was closely linked to its military leadership structure," said Wang Guancheng, who is an expert in terra-cotta research.

"The monarch of the Qin Kingdom was not only the head of state, but also the commander in chief of his army," Wang explained.

Though audiences may not know much about the connection between the film "Hero" and the terra-cotta horses and warriors, millions of them were lured to cinemas by the beautiful landscape and by leading actors like Jet Li, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung.

(Xinhua News Agency April 2, 2003)