Smiles of children you can't see at the Taipei exhibition – Paper pandas go on tour to over 100 elementary schools

Reported by Reporter Yu Ru / Compiled report

Paper pandas have crossed Taiwan and arrived in Kaohsiung, bringing big smiles to the kids. This morning (8th), more than 800 pandas made their appearance on the playground of Sanpi Elementary School in Luzhu District, Kaohsiung, where children happily hugged and placed the pandas beside them. Following two panda exhibitions in Taipei, the “Left Brain Creative Marketing” team has relaunched its rural elementary school panda tour initiative, aiming to help children understand the importance of ecological conservation and to start exploring the world through hands-on interaction.


▲ Paper pandas have crossed Taiwan and arrived in Kaohsiung, with kids lying among them and smiling happily. (Photo / Provided by Left Brain Creative Marketing)

Cheng Shiyu, CEO of Left Brain Creative Marketing, said that even before planning the Taipei “1600 Pandas World Tour” exhibition, she had already wanted to bring the pandas to rural elementary schools. “We hope to visit 100 elementary schools across Taiwan to let children learn about the importance of conservation.” She believed that what she wanted to do couldn’t wait. Even before securing corporate sponsorship, Cheng Shiyu invested one million NTD out of her own pocket to plan school schedules and liaise with NGO teams. The first stop was Sanpi Elementary School in Luzhu District, Kaohsiung, which has only 85 students.

Located in Luzhu District, known as the “Heavy Metal Town” for its screw manufacturing industry, the children were extremely excited about these esteemed guests from Taipei. “The kids were really happy to see the pandas, not only helping to set them up but also to pack them away,” shared Bruce, a member of the team. Today’s event only took up one morning — starting with placing the pandas on the playground, then grouping the children of different ages, assigning each group two native Taiwanese species, and with guidance from members of the Taiwan Ecological Conservation Association and the Environmental Information Association, they helped lead discussions. “We encouraged the kids to create stories based on the different animals and understand why they might be facing extinction.”

 
▲ After teaching the kids about endangered species, they were invited to draw the environments where these animals live. (Photo / Provided by Left Brain Creative Marketing)
%Jia∨ Xiao Yu Xun Pian Jiao, Qian Suo Xuē (Photo provided by Left Brain Creative Marketing)
 

Animals live in their respective habitats, but due to human misunderstanding and development, they often face heartbreaking situations. Cheng Shiyu shared that in addition to group discussions and drawing activities, the team also collaborated with National Geographic to screen a documentary planned by “Black Bear Mom” Huang Meixiu. “We were worried the kids might not understand, but when the scene of the black bear dying played, some of them cried.”

How could 6- to 12-year-old children possibly grasp the sorrow behind changes in the animal world? But perhaps the children of Sanpi Elementary School really do understand. Bruce said the children seriously asked and answered questions after the screening, and through hugging the paper pandas, their genuine emotional reactions were clearly visible. “I’ve always wanted to do this—there’s no time to wait,” Cheng Shiyu said. Although funding is still limited for the planned 100-school tour, children’s education can’t wait, and spreading awareness about ecological conservation is essential.


▲ Left Brain collaborated with the Eslite Art & Culture Foundation’s mobile library to bring the project to rural areas. (Photo / Provided by Left Brain Creative Marketing)


▲ In addition to the paper pandas, Taiwan black bears also made an appearance at Sanpi Elementary School. (Photo / Provided by Left Brain Creative Marketing)