A highly anticipated exhibition of Terracotta Warriors, carefully transported from China’s Shaanxi Province, will launch in Liverpool this Friday (9 February).

The 2,000-year-old treasures, which depict an emperor’s army, will be on display at the World Museum for the next eight months in an exhibit entitled 'China’s First Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors'.

“The Terracotta Warriors exhibition is surely one of the most important exhibitions we've ever held here,” said David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool.

“We cannot wait to share this spectacular show with the city’s people and welcome visitors from across the UK to witness this unmissable opportunity to see some of the Terracotta Army up close.”

The terracotta statues show the army of Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang.

More than 8,000 model soldiers were crafted and buried alongside the emperor, where they remained until Shaanxi farmers stumbled upon them just 45 years ago. Each figure is unique, with carved features different from the next.

Ten life-size warriors, including a terracotta horse, have made the 5,000-mile (8,000km) journey to Liverpool, where they’ll be displayed alongside 180 other objects discovered at the emperor’s 5,600-hectare (13,800-acre) burial site.

Sharon Granville, executive director of collections and estate at National Museums Liverpool, thanked project partners including museum contemporaries in China, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Tianjin Airlines, Wendy Wu Tours, Unilever, Quilter Cheviot Investment Management, Signature Living and the London Stock Exchange Group.

“The Terracotta Warriors are an iconic cultural treasure produced by ancient China,” said culture secretary Matt Hancock.

“Bringing them to Liverpool is a real coup and testament to the strength of the UK-China cultural relationship.

“This exhibition will boost tourism to the region, attract visitors from across the UK and Europe and highlights once again that Liverpool is a world-class destination for arts and culture."