The mayor of Liverpool on Wednesday welcomed an announcement that China's famous terracotta warriors are to go on show in the city.
The warriors will be the star attraction at an exhibition to be staged at Liverpool's World Museum in 2018.
It will be the first time in more than 30 years that the treasures from the Mausoleum of the Qinshihuang, the first emperor of a united China, have been brought to a museum in Britain outside London.
Joe Anderson said attracting the terracotta warriors to Liverpool is a huge coup for the port city in northern England. He said it shows how far this city has progressed since Liverpool became European Capital of Culture in 2008.
Liverpool is planning to host a number of internationally events in 2018 to mark a decade since it became European Capital of Culture.
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Karen Bradley said: "The terracotta army represents one of the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century, and I am delighted that a selection of the warriors will be coming to Liverpool, for the first time in 2018. "
"The exhibition will also encourage an ongoing cultural exchange between China and Britain, further progressing the relationship between our two nations and strengthening lasting ties," she said.
Planned for a run of more than six months, from February to October 2018, visitors to World Museum will be given a glimpse into the extraordinary story of Qinshihuang(259-210 BC). His vast burial site and tomb complex was discovered near Xi'an in northwest China in 1974, and the story of the tomb's terracotta warriors will be displayed alongside important artefacts and research relating to the formative years of the Chinese nation.
David Fleming, director of National Museums Liverpool, said: "This exhibition will be unprecedented in the UK, offering a new perspective on China's history. Spanning three periods of more than 500 years, it is set to include a number of objects that have never been on show in this country before."
