Beijing, Nov 17 (THAINDIAN NEWS) The US President is on an official tour in China and he took time out, to play a common tourist. He visited the ‘Forbidden City’ and is all set to visit the ‘Great Wall of China’ the next day too.

He took the chilly and the freezing temperature of the place in his face and snuggled into his jacket and set out to check out the storied old residence of China’s former imperial leaders, which is situated just behind Tiananmen Square. “I have to say I didn’t realize that Beijing gets as cold as my hometown of Chicago,” the president said on Tuesday. The Forbidden City is so named because normal people weren’t allowed in, as the rulers didn’t want them to find out how lavishly they were living.

Obama had spent about an hour touring the Forbidden City’s maze of red buildings and cobblestone courtyards, as a commonplace inquisitive tourist. “It’s a testament to the greatness of Chinese history,” Obama said while on tour. He pronounced it “a magnificent place to visit” and said he wanted to come back with his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, and their two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

The visit, he said later, was a beautiful “reminder of the incredible traditions and heritage of the Chinese people.” Imperial Garden, until finally, Mr. Obama emerged at the Courtyard of Loyal Obedience, where he signed a V.I.P. guest book under the Gate of Continuing Harmony.