Jeanette Lowry caught her breath as she found herself surrounded by an army on a Wednesday in June at Xi’an, China.

But these terra-cotta warriors meant no harm to the Spanish and multi-culture studies teacher at Central Heights schools. The sculptures dated from Third Century B.C.

Jeanette Lowry caught her breath as she found herself surrounded by an army on a Wednesday in June at Xi’an, China.

But these terra-cotta warriors meant no harm to the Spanish and multi-culture studies teacher at Central Heights schools. The sculptures dated from Third Century B.C.

“I so enjoyed the terra-cotta warriors — it was breathtaking,” Lowry said of the thousands of figures buried with the first emperor of China. “It was the equivalent of standing where the pharaohs were [in Egypt].”

The purpose of the army of 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots, 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses — the majority of which are still buried — were to protect Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the afterlife.

“The terra-cotta warriors are from the Qin Dynasty [pronounced ‘chin’],” Lowry said. “This is when we Westerners first began calling [this region] China. The emperor was so concerned about the afterlife that he wanted to take an army with him. It’s fascinating to me, because I think we are all concerned about the afterlife. The afterlife is a big part of our [Christian] religion.”

The sculptures were discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well at Xi’an in Shaanxi province. The figures are housed in the Museum of Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses at the dig site.

The stop was one of dozens on a 16-day trip to China and South Korea this June sponsored by the National Consortium for Teaching about Asia. Lowry was part of a contingent of U.S. teachers who explored such places as the Shanghai Museum, Tiananmen Square, the Great Wall of China and the National Museum of Korea in Seoul.

One of Lowry’s favorite diversions on the trip was a boat ride through the canals of Suzhou, China, which is known as “the Venice of the East.”

Gondoliers sang traditional Chinese folk songs as they navigated the canals of Suzhou, Lowry said.

“It was wonderful, and it made me think about how similar we are [the world over],” Lowry said.

The China-South Korea excursion, Lowry said, provided her the opportunity to compare and contrast these Asian countries with the U.S. and the many Spanish-speaking countries she has visited.

“As a teacher, you have to be able to lead open-minded discussions about the history and culture [of a people],” Lowry said of her multi-culture studies classes. “I have a new enthusiasm about China and South Korea. I was already teaching some things about East Asia, but this trip enables me to bring more to the table about [the region’s] culture and history.”

The Central Heights High School library has added new books about China and South Korea, Lowry said, and students continue to ask her questions about the trip — some two months into the new school year.

“I brought back some chocolate candy from South Korea that looks like little dice,” Lowry said. “It’s a rich, dark chocolate.

“A small piece of candy is always a good way to get a student’s interest,” she laughed. “My students continue to be amazed about the trip.”

Lowry said she would like to see more teachers visit the region through the NCTA-sponsored trips.

“We were treated so well, and the people were so kind,” Lowry said.

The educator said she was particularly impressed with the graciousness of the South Korean people.

“When I arrived in South Korea, you could almost breathe the freedom in the air,” Lowry said. “I hope, some day, the people of China and North Korea will experience the same freedoms — which I think sometimes we take for granted — that we have in this country and in South Korea. Maybe it will happen in my students’ lifetimes.”

Central Heights elementary teacher Shanna Richards and her husband, Dennis Richards, an English teacher at Anderson County High School, currently are taking an NCTA course taught through the Kansas Consortium for Teaching about Asia at the University of Kansas, Lawrence, in preparation for a trip to China in summer 2013.

Teachers who would like to learn more about the opportunity can call Nancy Hope, associate director of the Kansas Consortium for Teaching about Asia at KU, at (785) 864-3918 or email her at nfhope@ku.edu

“It’s a wonderful opportunity,” Lowry said.

And for hungry travelers searching for a snack during a stopover at a Japanese airport en route to China, Lowry recommends the green tea-flavored Kit Kat bars.