Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell and her husband, Hal, visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu as part of their tour of China last month. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell

Educators are well aware that travel is one of the most meaningful experiential learning opportunities available for both themselves and for their students. And summer vacation is a great time for travel! Last month, my husband Hal and I were able to spend nearly three weeks in China, and we enjoyed many unique experiences there that would serve very well as springboards for classroom lessons. One of them was a visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding in Chengdu.

This research center is a sanctuary for giant pandas, red pandas, and other endangered wild animals found only in China. The center also serves as the world’s pre-eminent institution for giant panda conservation, scientific research, breeding, popular science education, and cultural tourism.

The first thing we did upon our arrival was to take in a panoramic view of the entire research base. The facility was built on a summit that offers breathtaking views. Trees cover the slopes as crystal clean rivers wind down the hills.

We arrived early, and spent the next two hours wandering from one enclosure to the next, observing many of the approximately 100 giant pandas who live there enjoy their breakfast, chewing bamboo with their strong teeth while holding the stalks with their two front paws. Some of them were climbing trees to find to look for young, tender leaves. They looked very clumsy up there, but we were told that they are actually quite adept at climbing, and even if they fell a short distance they could survive it well. Our local guide shared many a surprising fact about these adorable endangered bears, and we learned a great deal about the species during our visit there. We learned to much about giant pandas that day!

I’m sure there are many teachers at both the elementary and secondary levels who would be eager to share information about giant pandas with their students. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy for an American classroom teacher to escort a group of students to Chengdu, China. But teachers who are developing classroom curriculum for their students could examine this website for the Chengdu Research Base for information to help.

Author and retired teacher Terry Lee Marzell and her husband, Hal Marzell, travelled to Xian, China, in 2026 to visit the archeological site of the Terracotta Army, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Photo credit: Terry Lee Marzell

Many educators agree that travel, in addition to being fun and intellectually stimulating, is one of the most meaningful learning opportunities available. When my husband, Hal, and I were fortunate enough to visit China last month, and there we learned what a magnificent country it is. During our tour, we were scheduled to visit Xian, and the archeological site of the world-famous Terracotta Warriors. Our local guide, Miki, explained that three pits had been discovered, and all were currently under excavation. This work has been ongoing since 1974, when the terracotta warriors were accidentally discovered by local farmers in the process of digging a new well. The archeological dig was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

The archeological dig includes a collection of nearly 8,000 life-sized human soldiers buried in the tomb of the conqueror Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China. The statues—each one individualized—were created in 210–209 BCE to protect the emperor in his afterlife. In addition to the human figures, terracotta horses and chariots were also created, and the entire collection reflects the military power of the Qin Dynasty.

Once we entered the structure surrounding Pit #3, we saw that a viewing platform had been built above and around the excavation. A viewing platform had been constructed so visitors could get a better view of the ancient warriors, standing majestically at attention. In addition, we saw several clay chariots and the horses used to draw them, all of them life-sized and created with minute detail. The tableau assembled below us truly resembled an actual army encampment.

These figures were largely intact, even though many of the sculptures had been badly damaged by tomb-raiders following the death of Qin Shi Huang. In a rage they raided the former emperor’s tomb to scavenge for weapons—bronze swords, axes, spearheads—wielded by the terracotta army, smashing the clay soldiers as they went. Like a gigantic and intricate jigsaw puzzle, the fragments have been carefully pieced back together. Today, a team of archeologists continues to painstakingly excavate, label, re-assemble, and photograph each unearthed figure, and then return them to their original positions.

Next, we proceeded on to Pit #2. Here the dig had not progressed as far as at Pit #3; the progress looked mostly like a series of large mounds. But we did see an area where the archeologists currently conduct their work.

Finally, we made our way over to Pit #1, the most amazing of the three digs. Legions of terracotta warriors were lined up, standing side-by-side as if at attention during a military inspection. Miki led us along the length of the oval platform, where we saw more of the archeologists’ ongoing work. We saw several figures in varying states of reconstruction. Some of them were missing sections, indicative of an, as yet, incomplete jigsaw. But we could also see that each clay soldier wore a unique face, and some of them even displayed distinctly African facial features. How, I wondered, did African soldiers become members of this grand army, so far from their home continent? We spent a half hour or so examining the statues and the site that served for centuries as their home, and then our tour was concluded.

Lessons about the history of the Terracotta Army would likely be of interest to any teacher developing a curriculum for a World History class. In addition, Art teachers might want to ask their students to study the art of creating figurines in clay. Almost certainly, though, it would not be easy for an American classroom teacher to escort a group of students to Xian. But the government of China maintains an excellent website with information and photographs of the dig. You can access that website at Terracotta Warriors Museum.