Explore went to China on a fact-finding mission led by Charles Annenberg Weingarten, a trustee of the Annenberg Foundation. During the three-week trip, the team discovered many of China's hidden gems: philosophy, art, education, and rural life. They also discovered how the country's hard-working and innovative leaders were working to solve issues of the environment, human rights, and public health.

Master Fa Qing is a philosopher, calligrapher, and Buddhist monk who believes that calligraphy and other spiritual arts allow us to simplify our lives, opening up a door to happiness in a world where complexity often works against it.

Shanghai, situated on the banks of the Yangtze River, is China's largest city. It has a population of around 20 million people and includes one of the world's busiest ports. Our guide, environmentalist Wen Bo, comments on the challenge China faces today in balancing growth with the need for ecological conservation.

The Explore team visits the tomb of the Terracotta Warriors and Horses - one of the most important archaeological findings of the 20th century. A ceramic army of 8,099 life-sized, intricately carved statues modeled after Emperor Qin's infantry men, officers, and archers stand at attention, ready to protect their leader in his afterlife.

Built in stages over many centuries, the Great Wall of China stretches more than 6,400 kilometers, or nearly 4,000 miles through northern China. China's first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, began constructing the wall in the 3rd century BC to protect the northern borders of his empire from Mongolians and other nomadic invaders.

Established in the Sichuan province in 1963, the Wolong Nature Reserve is home to one of the earliest research bases for the endangered giant panda. Starting with just 10 pandas in captivity, it has increased that number nearly tenfold through successful breeding methods -- in 2006, 18 baby pandas were born: a new record. Assistant Director Li Desheng explains how they will be reintroduced into the wilderness.

Women in rural China have one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Wu Qing at the Development Center for Rural Women believes that empowering women with the idea of equality, giving them out-of-home work skills, and instilling a sense of social responsibility will increase their feeling of self-worth and improve quality of life. To plant the desire for knowledge, the center also started a grassroots literacy program.

One mile long and 600 feet high, the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River is a project of epic proportions - and controversy. The dam, completed in 2008, created a vast reservoir extending 370 miles, about the distance from Los Angeles to San Francisco. It brings drinking water to northern China and generates as much electricity as 18 coal-fired power plants. But it has also displaced some two million people and caused widespread flooding, destroying rural villages and cultural treasures.

As its economy continues to develop at breakneck speed, China's coal-fired power plants work round the clock to provide the energy for growth, releasing huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Experts predict that China, now the world's largest emitter of CO2, will produce even more in years to come. Wen Bo, a leading Chinese environmentalist, sheds light on his approach to raising environmental awareness in his home country.

Tai chi is an ancient Chinese martial art that is practiced worldwide to reduce stress, enhance balance, and increase focus. Here, tai chi master Xiaozhon He harnesses the flow of energy and seamlessly translates it into graceful movements.