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First ladies at the Forbidden City: Michelle Obama and Peng Liyuan kick off tour together

Michelle Obama tried her hand at calligraphy

PUBLISHED : Thursday, 20 March, 2014, 1:33pm
UPDATED : Friday, 21 March, 2014, 5:28pm

Teddy Ng in Beijing and Andrea Chen



Peng Liyuan shows Michelle Obama how to hold a writing brush as they visit a Chinese traditional calligraphy class at the Beijing Normal School. Photo: Reuters

US first lady Michelle Obama today kicked off her week-long trip to China with a stroll around Beijing's Forbidden City and a visit to a school, accompanied by her Chinese counterpart Peng Liyuan.

Dressed casually in a black asymmetric waistcoat, shirt and blak wide-legged trousers by American fashion designer Phillip Lim, Michelle was pictured alongside Peng, who sported a more formal look, wearing a belted navy blue jacket and skirt, a pair of high-heeled lace-up shoes, and carrying a red clutch bag.



First ladies Michelle Obama and Peng Liyuan pose for a photo at the Forbidden City. Photo: Reuters

The two first ladies arrived at a middle school in downtown Beijing's Xicheng District amid tight security at 9.30am on Friday morning, before taking a tour of the classrooms, during which Peng presented Obama with a gift of calligraphy.

While Barack Obama's wife was given guidance by 16-year-old student Lu Yuhong in writing the Chinese character for "eternal", Peng penned Chinese characters that read "a gentleman must embrace everything with virtue and tolerance", before presenting them to her counterpart as a souvenir.

Before picking up her brush, Obama admitted, "I'm nervous", to which Peng calmly replied in English, "Don't be nervous".



Michelle Obama tries to write Chinese words with a brush. Photo: Reuters

An impressed Lu said he had been "very excited" to meet Obama, adding she was "very approachable".

Weibo bloggers quickly picked up on the phrase.

"Is she telling the Sattes to be more noble?" wrote one, who identified himself as Futureengineer.

After a brief tour of the classrooms and gymnasium at the No.2 High School - a "sister school" to the Sidwell Friends School in Washington DC, attended by Obama's daughters, Sasha and Malia - the group left and headed to the Forbidden City.



Michelle Obama, her daughters Sasha and Malia and her mother Marian Robinson pose with Peng Liyuan as they visit the Forbidden City. Photo: Reuters

Their appearance quickly attracted the attention of tourists who whipped out their cameras and mobiles phones in an effort to capture images of the women together.

Peng is due to host a dinner for the Obamas later today.

The Obama family members arrived in Beijing yesterday to a buzz from Chinese internet users who commented on everything from her choice of outfit to details of her itinerary. The White House has insisted that her tour is more cultural than political.Michelle Obama plays table tennis during her visit to Beijing. Photo: Reuters

During the Beijing leg of her tour Obama is staying at the presidential suite of The Westin hotel in Chaoyang District. the suite has a list price of 52,000 yuan a night (about HK$65,500).

Visiting on the invitation of Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan, Obama's trip will focus on building cultural ties between the two nations and will avoid political topics.



Michelle Obama, her daughters Malia and Sasha, and Peng Liyuan, watch students demonstrating remote control mechanical robots at the Beijing Normal School. Photo: AP

Obama waved as she stepped out of the aircraft with her mother Marian Robinson, and daughters, at Beijing's Capital International Airport last night, where they were welcomed by Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Kunsheng.

Mainland internet users were quick to point out that Obama's dress was designed by American Derek Lam, who has Chinese lineage.

The White House promised social media updates on her trip, but said Obama had no plans to give media interviews.

The visit "is an important opportunity not just to share China's rich history and culture with young people like you, but to connect you with the stories of young people in China", Obama said in a video ahead of the trip.



Michelle Obama and her daughters Sasha and Malia meet with Peng Liyuan as they pay a visit to Beijing Normal School. Photo: Reuters

Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Obama's visit could promote Sino-US friendship.

Tomorrow, Obama will deliver a speech at the Stanford Centre at Peking University, visit the Summer Palace, and meet with US embassy staff.

US first lady Michelle Obama (front left) disembarks from the plane upon her arrival in Beijing kicking off her seven-day visit to China. Photo: Xinhua

On Sunday, she will host a round-table discussion on education and visit the Great Wall, before heading west to Xian on Monday and Chengdu on Tuesday.

Mainland internet users were particularly interested in Obama's plan to eat Tibetan food in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Wednesday, the last day of her trip.

Some saw the stop as indicating Washington's tacit support for Tibet's exiled leader, the Dalai Lama. "Eating and drinking are also political," wrote one blogger.



U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama (right) is greeted by Max Baucus (center) the new U.S. Ambassador to China, and his wife Melodee Hanes (left) upon her arrival at Capital International Airport in Beijing, China. Photo: AP



This is where Michelle stays in Beijing – the only presidential suite in The Westin hotel in Chaoyang District. The listed price for the suite is 52,000 yuan per night. Photo: CFP







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