Michelle at the Chinese-immersion Yu Ying Charter School in Washington, DC. The characters behind her read, “心想事成” (xin xiang shi cheng, may your wishes come true)

The First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, her mother Marian Robinson, and daughters Malia and Sasha will be visiting China for the first time this month, from March 20 to 26. They will tour Beijing, Xi’an, and Chengdu on an education-themed trip, visiting schools and touring sites with China’s first lady, Peng Liyuan.

China Tea Leaves is sure the Obama ladies will enjoy climbing the Great Wall and cooing over the pandas in Chengdu. We hope they will also take some time to visit the parks of both the capital and the Sichuan city, where I’m sure Michelle would be proud to see the thousands of Chinese folks who exercise everyday in the public parks. I for one will be following her blog of their trip to hear her experiences with the young people of the Middle Kingdom, and hope to see some photos in the coming weeks of Michelle and her mom dancercizing in Tiantan or People’s Park.

China Tea Leaves loudly applauds Michelle’s message to broaden one’s education through travel and cross-cultural learning, more important than ever in this interconnected world. May they have a safe, uplifting and unforgettable trip.

Travelers around the world can learn about Xi’an, Chengdu and Chinese culture by downloading a China Tea Leaves travel guide for iBooks. Stay tuned for more about our time in Beijing as we look forward to the release of China Tea Leaves 北京 Beijing later this year.