Touring the Great Wall of China
First Lady Michelle Obama traveled to China March 20 through March 26 with her mother, Mrs. Marian Robinson, and daughters, Malia and Sasha Obama. They visited historical and cultural sites, as well as schools, including a calligraphy class in which one student taught Mrs. Obama how to draw the character for “eternity.”
They visited the Forbidden City, went to dinner and a show with Chinese President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan, saw the Summer Palace, and visited the U.S. Embassy.
During the trip, the first lady hosted a roundtable with students on the topic of education, which included a discussion on the treatment of ethnic minorities in the Chinese education system. She and her daughters toured the Great Wall of China, and rode a gondola to a high point on the wall, where news reporters said despite the heavy smog none of the Obamas wore masks. They rode toboggans down from the wall. On their last day they visited the Chengdu Panda Base, home to about 50 pandas. (end)
Photos courtesy of the White House
Touring the Forbidden City
Visiting a geometry robotics Lab at the Beijing Normal School in Beijing
Ping pong at the Beijing Normal School
Practicing tai chi with students in Chengdu
Feeding pandas at Chengdu Panda Base
Michelle Obama greets family members of the U.S. Embassy staff in Beijing.
Rope jumping at the Xi’an City Wall
Joining performers at the Xi’an City Wall