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Ping Pong, Calligraphy, History: First Ladies Hang Out in Beijing

Michelle Obama takes whistle-stop tour with Chinese counterpart Peng Liyuan.
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Michelle Obama embarked on a whistle-stop tour of Beijing Friday with Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan as her guide.

The wives of the men who run the world's two largest economies visited the Forbidden City and met students at a high school, where Obama played table tennis and tried her hand at calligraphy.

Attempting to write the Chinese character for "eternal", Obama declared herself "nervous," The Associated Press reported. "Don't be nervous," Peng replied in English.

Image: First Lady Michelle Obama tries to write Chinese words with a brush
Michelle Obama tries to write Chinese words as Peng Liyuan looks on during their visit to a calligraphy class at the Beijing Normal School, a school that prepares students to attend university abroad.ANDY WONG / AFP - Getty Images
Image: First Lady Michelle Obama plays table tennis
Michelle Obama plays table tennis as she visits the Beijing Normal School.ANDY WONG / AFP - Getty Images

Obama arrived in China with her mother and daughters on Thursday for a seven-day, three-city trip which will focus on education and cultural exchange.