The museum housing China's world-famous Terracotta Army was hit by flooding on Tuesday after heavy rains hit the ancient city of Xi'an.

Footage widely circulated online showed water flowing down stairs inside the Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum and visitors huddled together with their feet submerged.

A witness quoted by Huashang Daily said he feared the 2,000-year-old Terracotta Warriors, which are stored mainly in the No 1 exhibition hall, would be damaged.

The door to the hall was continually opened as a constant stream of visitors exited, which led to more rain flowing in, he said.

Staff members rushed to drain water from the hall using buckets and closed the doors to visitors. Their efforts ensured no damage was done to the cultural relics, the paper reported.

The museum, in the northern city's Lintong district, houses nearly 6,000 terracotta figures as well as the mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of a unified China and founder of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).