THOUSANDS of people have already turned out to see the amazing Terracotta Warriors at the National Gallery of Victoria International - but there's still plenty of time to visit.
Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality and Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape, continues until October 13.
The warriors are shown alongside a parallel display of new works by one of the world's most exciting contemporary artists, Cai Guo-Qiang.
Regarded as one of the greatest archaeological finds of the 20th century, the warriors are widely described as the eighth wonder of the world.
The exhibition features eight warrior figures and two life-size horses from the Imperial Army, as well as two half-size replica bronze chariots, each drawn by four horses.
Also on show are more than 150 exquisite ancient treasures of Chinese historic art and design including priceless gold, jade and bronze artefacts that date from the Western Zhou through to the Han dynasties (1046BC-220AD).
Artist Cai Guo-Qiang's works include a monumental installation of 10,000 suspended porcelain birds, which create a three-dimensional impression of a calligraphic drawing of the sacred Mount Li, site of the tomb of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang, and his warriors.
NGV director Tony Ellwood said: "Thirty-six years ago, in 1982, the National Gallery of Victoria presented the first international exhibition of China's ancient Terracotta Warriors only several years after their discovery.
"History will be made again in 2019, when the Qin Emperor's Terracotta Army will return to the NGV for the 2019 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces exhibition series - this time in a sophisticated dialogue with the work one of China's most celebrated contemporary artists, Cai Guo-Qiang."
NGV, St Kilda Rd, Melbourne: exhibition admission $20/$25. Details 8620-2222, www.ngv.vic.gov.au
(Image: Qin Shihuang's terracotta warriors, Pit 1, Qin dynasty (221-206 BCE) (detail) c. Shaanxi History Museum (Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center) and Emperor Qin Shihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum.)