Art student hid among Terracotta Warriors

A German art student hid among China's famed Terracotta Warriors for a prank at a world heritage site.

Pablo Wendel, 26, jumped into a pit to join about 2,000 ancient life-size pottery warriors and horses in Xi'an.

He wore a uniform identical to those once worn by Emperor Qinshihuang's warriors and had even brought a plinth to stand on.

Wendel stood there, motionless and unblinking, for a couple of minutes until police found him, reports the Xinhua news agency.Officers tried to persuade him to leave but when he persisted with his pose they picked up the prostrate figure and carried him out.

Wendel said: "I have always dreamed of disguising myself as a terracotta warrior among the real ones".

He had his costume confiscated and was sent back to the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, where he is studying performance art. Police said his actions warranted only "serious criticism and education" since he did not cause any damage.