U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, accompanied by her Chinese counterpart, Peng Liyuan, visited a school on the first day of Obama's five-day trip to China.
The two participated in a calligraphy demonstration Friday before visiting the former Imperial Palace in Beijing's Forbidden City.
During their travels, the first lady, along with her mother and two daughters, will also visit the Great Wall of China, the famed Terra Cotta Warriors and a panda preserve.
Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech Saturday at the Stanford Center of the prestigious Peking University. She will also meet the staff and families of the American embassy in Beijing.
Watch related video by VOA's Carla Babb
The two first ladies had been expected to meet last June when their husbands held a summit in California, but Mrs. Obama stayed behind in Washington.
White House officials have said Mrs. Obama's trip will focus on education and will steer clear of more contentious issues between the United States and China, such as human rights and trade.
Both of the first lady's predecessors have addressed contentious matters while visiting China.
During a 2008 trip, Laura Bush urged China to put more pressure on the military government of Burma. And in 1995, Hillary Clinton attended the U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing and gave a high-profile speech urging China to improve its human rights record.
The two participated in a calligraphy demonstration Friday before visiting the former Imperial Palace in Beijing's Forbidden City.
During their travels, the first lady, along with her mother and two daughters, will also visit the Great Wall of China, the famed Terra Cotta Warriors and a panda preserve.
Obama is scheduled to deliver a speech Saturday at the Stanford Center of the prestigious Peking University. She will also meet the staff and families of the American embassy in Beijing.
Watch related video by VOA's Carla Babb
The two first ladies had been expected to meet last June when their husbands held a summit in California, but Mrs. Obama stayed behind in Washington.
White House officials have said Mrs. Obama's trip will focus on education and will steer clear of more contentious issues between the United States and China, such as human rights and trade.
Both of the first lady's predecessors have addressed contentious matters while visiting China.
During a 2008 trip, Laura Bush urged China to put more pressure on the military government of Burma. And in 1995, Hillary Clinton attended the U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing and gave a high-profile speech urging China to improve its human rights record.
