First daughter Sasha Obama cut a stylish figure in jeans and shades as the Obama girls visited the Great Wall of China today.
Michelle Obama, Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12, were left alone to explore the Mutianyu section of the historical landmark in the northern Beijing suburbs though Chinese police officers looked on protectively. The three walked a stretch of the wall that looks out to a massive rock inscription on a hillside that reads in Chinese: 'Loyal to Chairman Mao.'
The country has been fascinated by Mrs Obama's 'elegance' during the weeklong visit to the country to promote educational exchanges between the U.S. and China.
Sasha Obama, left, cut a cool figure in shades as she wandered the Great Wall of China with her mom and sister
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters visited the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall in Beijing on Sunday
Mrs Obama has also been photographed at famous spots including the Forbidden City during her trip, which marks the first time a U.S. president's wife has traveled independently to China.
The first lady has won compliments for her elegant clothing and her interactions with ordinary people in a country where it is rare to see leaders' spouses or children in public.
'She is very warm and frank, and when she is talking to people she conscientiously listens to what they have to say,' said Wu Qing, a retired professor of Beijing Foreign Studies University who met Mrs Obama on Sunday.
'In China, we usually use weather to express our mood or state of mind, so the fact that the weather has been so nice these few days means she is very welcome in China,' Wu said.
Earlier Sunday, Mrs Obama hosted a discussion about education and told Chinese professors, students and parents that she wouldn't have risen to where she was if her parents hadn't pushed for her to get a good education.
'Education is an important focus for me. It's personal, because I wouldn't be where I am today without my parents investing and pushing me to get a good education,' the first lady said. 'My parents were not educated themselves, but one of the things they understood was that my brother and I needed that foundation.'
The White House women were left alone to explore the Mutianyu section of the historical landmark in the northern Beijing suburbs
Michelle Obama arrived in Beijing on March 20 with her mother and daughters to kick off a seven-day, three-city tour to focus on education and cultural exchange
She said she and her husband wanted as many young people as possible in the United States and the world to have access to education.
She then hosted a roundtable with a handful of Chinese professors, students and parents at an event at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing that was attended by new U.S. Ambassador to China Max Baucus and closed to the media.
On Saturday, Mrs Obama gave a 15-minute speech at China's prestigious Peking University in which she promoted the free flow of information and freedom of speech, the only time during her trip that she has brought up a contentious issue.
China routinely filters out information deemed offensive by the government and silences dissenting voices.
Those remarks by Mrs Obama were absent from China's state media but were circulating in social media, where they were widely praised.
'I was very impressed by her speech mentioning freedom of speech,' said Zhang Lifan, an independent historian who said he had read about it in overseas Chinese media. 'Although the Chinese constitution guarantees freedom of speech, Chinese citizens don't really enjoy that right. I think she just reminded China in a polite and mild way that not allowing freedom of speech is not conducive to China.'
Mrs Obama has also been photographed at famous spots including the Forbidden City during her trip, which marks the first time a U.S. president's wife has traveled independently to China
A Chinese police woman stands guard from the wall as U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and her daughters, Malia and Sasha, visit the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall of China in Beijing
The trip, the first time a U.S. president's wife has independently visited China, also has given Mrs Obama an opportunity to engage with President Xi Jinping's wife, Peng Liyuan.
On Friday, the two first ladies toured a Beijing high school, where Mrs Obama tried her hand at calligraphy and pingpong and visited with students who had built robots.
She also met with Xi that evening.
On Tuesday, she will visit a high school in the southwestern city of Chengdu.
Students who met Mrs. Obama praised her affability. 'She was so approachable,' said Lu Yuhong, 16, who guided the first lady in writing the Chinese character 'eternal' in calligraphy at the Beijing school.
Mu Rongduomijia, 16, said she traveled Saturday from the northeastern city of Dalian to Beijing, hoping to hear Mrs. Obama's speech. Instead, she waited outside for glimpses of the first lady's entourage.
'It was touching to see so many people waiting for her arrival and departure, and that's because of her personal charisma,' Mu said, noting she was impressed with the manners of Malia and Sasha.
Mrs Obama, Malia, 15, and Sasha, 12, and her mother, Marian Robinson, who is also traveling with them, will visit the cities of Xi'an and Chengdu before returning to Washington on Wednesday.
US First Lady Michelle Obama (C) and US Ambassador to China Max Baucus (L) talk with a group of students and teachers at the US embassy in Beijing on March 23, 2014
The trip, the first time a U.S. president's wife has independently visited China, also has given Mrs Obama an opportunity to engage with President Xi Jinping's wife, Peng Liyuan, right
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