China President Xi's India visit: First lady Peng Liyuan charms school children

NEW DELHI: Amid tight security and big expectations on diplomatic talks, Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan charmed her way into the hearts of children at Tagore International School in the city, with her grace and elegance. Arriving at the school at 10 am, she was enthralled with various acts by the school childrens.

A group of children presented a Tai Chi (Chinese martial art) performance that was followed by a Kathak recital. The showstopper was the Chinese song, “Longing for home” penned by an 8th century Chinese poet, Li Bai that explains a boatride in moonlight. Liyuan, who has been a very popular singer in China before her marriage to Xi Jinping, hummed along with the children.

Three girls, dressed in traditional attire recited Rabindranath Tagore’s poem, Where the Mind is Without Fear, in three different dance forms– Kathak, Bharatnathyam and Kuchipudi, clearly impressing the first lady who later said all performances were wonderful.

The school for the past many years has been conducting virtual smart classes with a 104-year-old Jinyuan Senior High School in Shanghai, through which students of Tagore International School teach Chinese children Kathak and yoga, while the Chinese teachers coach students of the school in Tai Chi and calligraphy. On Thursday, students from the Shangai school also took part in the event, presenting yoga and Tai Chi performances though video conferencing.

And then, it was Liyuan's turn to impress the children and she did not disappoint them. When she was offered a Chinese brush and a canvass, she quickly sprang to action, gracefully stroking it to write Chinese characters that meant, ‘review’ ‘past’ ‘understand’ and ‘new.’ She explained to the children that “one needs to review the past before “one decides to take on the future,” a famous quote of Chinese philosopher Confuscius.