First Lady Melania Trump dropped off her husband’s five-nation blitz of Asia to visit the Beijing Zoo.
FLOTUS arrived at the backside of the Beijing Zoo Panda House at 10.20am local time.
A group of school children holding Chinese and American flags were waiting to greet her outside.
While they waited, a male panda named ‘Meng’er’ was released into the panda pen.
His name roughly translates to cute #2, I am told.
U.S. first lady Melania Trump poses for photos with children in front of a panda section as she visits Beijing Zoo
A group of school children holding Chinese and American flags were waiting to greet her outside
While they waited, a male panda named ‘Meng’er’ was released into the panda pen.
The children ooh’d and awe’d as the panda crawled onto a platform and over to a pile of bamboo that he began munching on.
FLOTUS addressed the first group of children out of pool’s earshot. They led in the direction of the panda, showing him off.
When they were through talking, FLOTUS stepped back to view a singing performance by another group of children.
FLOTUS clapped and smiled as they sang.
She passed out stuffed eagles to the children and took a group photo with them before moving on.
‘Thank you very much,’ she said.
U.S. President Donald Trump waves as he boards Air Force One to depart for Vietnam from Beijing Airport in Beijing, China
Trump left the First Lady in China where she went to visit the zoo and see the Great Wall of China
The president’s wife is also making a quintessential tourist stop at the Great Wall (pictured) – one of the Seven Wonders of the World – before she leaves China
Three pandas play in their enclosure in Beijing Zoo. Melania is sue to visit
The president’s wife is also making a quintessential tourist stop at the Great Wall – one of the Seven Wonders of the World – before she leaves China.
President Trump shared his wife’s big day plans on Twitter as he departed for Vietnam.
He said she would be traveling to Alaska after that ‘to greet our AMAZING troops’.
The U.S. president has promised to build a massive wall along the United States’ southern border to protect the country against drugs and terrorism.
He did not visit China’s 5,500 mile long barrier during his own visit to Beijing.
The US First Lady Melania Trump, in what’s likely to be a custom Dolce & Gabbana gown, stands alongside the wife of China’s president in Beijing
Mrs Trump even tried her hand at painting as she joined in with a calligraphy class
Both women looked delighted to be in the company of the young students at Banchang Primary School, where they were treated to a cultural performance
Melania’s stops on the tourist trail come after she tried her hand at the delicate art of calligraphy as she and the wife of the Chinese president enjoyed a visit to a primary school in Beijing.
Despite being dressed in a custom Dolce & Gabbana gown, thought to have cost at least $3,975, the First Lady happily took up a paintbrush and ink under the watchful eye of the young students at Banchang Primary School.
She was joined by Madame Peng Liyuan, who welcomed Donald and Melania to China with her husband President Xi Jinping on day five of the Trumps’ Asia tour.
As well as greeting the young students and joining in with some of their lessons, the VIP guests were also treated to a special, cultural performance from students.
Both Melania and Madame Peng were photographed smiling and clapping after the show, surrounded by a gang of beaming schoolchildren.
Upon arrival in Beijing, the First Lady dazzled in her floor-length dress at an official welcome ceremony at the city’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday morning.
The gown featured an intricate pink floral design on the black dress – a nod, perhaps, to her hosts’ cultural heritage.
China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan gave her US counterpart Melania Trump a tour of a primary school in Beijing on Thursday
Both women appeared to be in great spirits as they admired students handiwork at the school
A young schoolboy proudly shows off his efforts to the Chinese and US First Ladies in a calligraphy class
Melania, who teamed her Dolce dress with her trademark bouncy blow-out, shook hands with young students during the visit to the school
Both Melania and Madame Peng have been noted for their fashion flair, with Peng embracing Chinese designers and traditional design.
Melania has been bucking the trend of previous American First Ladies, who have typically chosen home-grown designers, and gone for bold foreign designers such as Christian Louboutin, Karl Lagerfeld and – her favorite – Dolce and Gabbana.
Lending a hand: Mrs Trump helps a young school girl who is adding decoration to a dress
The First Lady also watched over young students taking part in a cookery class at the school
The two women also looked in on an architecture class at the school on Thursday
Both women smiled and clapped along with the primary school students in Beijing after they were treated to a cultural performance by children in costume
Madame Peng wore a smart black coat and heels, while Melania went all out in floor-length Dolce & Gabbana
Melania Trump (left and right) donned a stunning Chinese-inspired gown as she met with President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuana on day five of her and Donald’s Asia tour
The First Lady stepped out in a custom floor-length Dolce and Gabbana dress for the official welcome ceremony at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People on Thursday
The choice may be a simple matter of taste, or could be related to the fashion community’s continued backlash against the Trumps which began when a number of leading American designers, including Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs and Sophie Theallet, stated they were not interested in dressing the First Lady after Donald’s election win.
Melania stepped out in her Italian-made, Chinese-inspired dress for the welcome ceremony at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People overlooking Tiananmen Square. The event was broadcast live on state television, an almost unprecedented gesture for a visiting leader which underlines the importance China has placed on the Trumps’ first official visit.
China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan and US First Lady Melania Trump attend a fashion class during a visit at Banchang Primary School in Beijing
Eager children raise their hands during an architecture class during Melania Trump’s visit
Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife Madame Peng Liyuan rolled out the red carpet for Donald and Melania Trump on Thursday morning in an official welcome ceremony at Beijing’s Great Hall of the People
Melania stepped out in her Italian-made, Chinese-inspired dress for the welcome ceremony which was broadcast live on state television, an almost unprecedented for a visiting leader
It was a warm reunion for the political leaders who met during Xi and Peng’s trip to the US where they were invited to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort
Trumpets blared and a military band played the U.S. and Chinese national anthems as a ceremonial cannon fired shots in Tiananmen Square
Trumpets blared and a military band played the U.S. and Chinese national anthems as a ceremonial cannon fired shots in Tiananmen Square.
The First Family has already met President Xi Madame Peng during their visit to the US when Donald Trump invited them to his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Presidents Trump and Xi will participate in several hours of official talks, then deliver a joint press statement. A state dinner is on the agenda for this evening, complete with a cultural performance.
During the welcoming ceremony, the pair seemed to be deep in conversation while their wives kept each other company behind them.
Before the day is through Trump will have also met with Li Keqiang, the head of China’s government. Li is a trained economist and a brainchild of the communist nation’s economy.
Trump administration complaints about China’s unfair business practices and it’s mammoth trade deficit with the U.S. are expected to come up when Trump meets with Li on Thursday afternoon.
Melania’s Chinese-inspired get up comes just days after the first daughter wore a $1,995 kimono-inspired dress, also made in Italy, by designer Johanna Ortiz to meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a dinner at a restaurant in Tokyo, Japan, Friday,
Happy as can be: The mother-of-three beamed with joy as she waved for the cameras
Melania’s bold outfit choice comes just days after her step-daughter Ivanka met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a dinner in Tokyo in a $1,995 kimono-inspired dress, also made in Italy, by designer Johanna Ortiz.
Ivanka’s below-the-knee, flowing dress featured a flowery pattern, tied around the waist with a black bow belt for what appeared to be a nod to the traditional Japanese clothing dating back to the Heian period, between the eighth and twelfth centuries.
The first daughter, 36, posed for photos with Abe, 63, on Friday after giving a speech about female entrepreneurs and women’s role in the economy at the World Assembly for Women 2017 earlier in the day.
Melania and Donald arrived in China yesterday, the third country on their 12 day Asian tour, and hopped in his motorcade and sped through Beijing to the Forbidden City, where they reunited with Chinese president Xi Jinping and Madame Peng over tea.
Trump took in an extra special performance of Peking opera on Wednesday during a grand tour of the Forbidden City put on by Chinese President Xi Jinping. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are seen here in the Forbidden City with Xi and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan
The Trumps are at a private dinner now with Xi and his wife, Madame Peng Liyuan
After the tour, the presidents and the first ladies of the US and China watched a special performance of Peking opera that was staged for Trump’s visit
‘Welcome to China! I love you!’ a group of children who were part of a Peking opera performance told the U.S. president this evening in Beijing
They led the Trumps to the Conservation Scientific Laboratory of the Forbidden City to participate in an artifact restoration.
The two first couples next watched a performance of Peking opera, a distinctively Chinese art form that combines music, mime, dance and acrobatics.
Posing for pictures with the cast when the opera had concluded, Trump told them the extravagant show was ‘beautiful!’
Trump left South Korea on Wednesday after delivering a speech to the country’s National Assembly. He said in a tweet Wednesday morning that he was looking forward to again seeing Xi, ‘who is just off his great political victory.’
Trump tweeted Wednesday that he was looking forward to renewing his bond with Xi, whom he welcomed to his Florida Mar-a-Lago private resort in April