After a gala dinner on the banks of river Sabarmati in Ahmedabad, Chinese President Xi Jinping and wife Peng Liyuan checked into a lavish suite at the Taj Palace Hotel in national capital New Delhi, where a Mandarin-speaking staff greeted them with a traditional Jodhpuri chaddar.
The iconic Tata Suite, where Xi and his wife will reside till Friday, has been refurbished in accordance with their tastes. While special shawls and traditional fabrics, highlighting the richness of Indian handicrafts, have been used to decorate the suite, special bulbs have been imported.
Books in Mandarin, as well as works on Indian art and culture, have been added to the suite's library.
As the couple were ushered into the hotel, they were showered with petals.
On their entry into the suite, Xi and his wife were gifted a special tea chest and a box of traditional Indian spices.
To ensure the dignitaries feel at home, the map of the suite has been reprinted in Mandarin.
Taj Palace has flown in all the chefs from its chain of Chinese restaurants across the globe to ensure Xi and his wife relish authentic Chinese cuisine.
A separate and fully equipped Chinese kitchen has also been set up.
On Wednesday, the first couple was served a scrumptious spread in hand-painted porcelain and crystal ware traditional crockery.
After a ceremonial reception at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday, Xi will attend back-to-back meetings with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
At the meetings, various issues, ranging from border disputes to trade deficit, will be discussed. This will be followed by the signing of bilateral agreements and business deals.
Peng Liyuan, meanwhile, will interact with students at the Tagore International School here.
