Show and Tell: Benjamin Zephaniah

I support the Moon Bear Sanctuary in Chengdu. The founder, Jill Robinson, does an amazing job of saving the Moon Bears after they’ve been cruelly farmed for their bile. This one was trapped in a cage, standing upright, for 15 years. His injuries were so bad that, sadly, he had to be put down. Photograph: Benjamin Zephaniah

This school is based in Chen Jia Gou, a remote village in China. The children are from poor families and don’t speak English at all, but I taught them a couple of lines of my poetry and got them to say it with me. It was such a fun afternoon. I’ve been invited back, as the children want me to be their teacher! Photograph: Benjamin Zephaniah

A natural rock formation in the Forbidden City, near Tiananmen Square. It looked like a beautiful piece of artwork to me. I felt like I was standing at the foot of one of the wonders of the world Photograph: Benjamin Zephaniah

I did 150 readings during my trip to China. This is my audience at the One Way Street Library. The Chinese audience may not understand English, but they’re interested in the rhythm of the language and the expressions of the poet. They’re hungry for knowledge Photograph: Benjamin Zephaniah

I cycled to a village being built from scratch near the one I was staying at in China’s Henan Province. I rode past this little girl who was playing on a building site – she just stopped and stared at me, so I took a photo Photograph: Benjamin Zephaniah

I was rushed by the audience and asked for autographs after a reading at Beijing University. I felt like the member of a boy band. I write each person an individual message – it takes more time, but I think it’s important Photograph: Benjamin Zephaniah

I checked myself into a kung fu/t’ai chi school for two weeks. People in the west perceive t’ai chi to be a gentle form of exercise – what they don’t realise is it’s a deadly martial art. This girl is 15 and a t’ai chi master – she could kill someone within a moment if she wanted to Photograph: Benjamin Zephaniah