Peng and Melania Visit Smithsonian Museum in Washington

Peng Liyuan and Melania Trump visited the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington on Thursday, touring galleries and watching American teenagers perform Chinese songs during a cultural engagement alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to the United States. The two first ladies toured exhibition halls, including the Peacock Room, according to a report from the museum visit. Afterward, they watched the students perform and spoke with them. Peng encouraged the teenagers to keep learning Chinese language and culture, describing young people as potential bridges between the two countries, according to accounts of her remarks. The visit brought a cultural focus to a week of high-level engagements between Xi and President Donald Trump. Peng also expressed appreciation for the United States’ return of Chinese cultural relics in recent years and called for continued cooperation on cultural exchange and heritage protection, according to one account. She emphasized the role of cultural engagement in strengthening ties between Chinese and American people.