May 20, is a newly-invented celebration for the Chinese people, because the pronunciation of "5.20" sounds similar to the words for "I love you" in Chinese. In the Internet age, Chinese netizens have taken it as a day to express their love. On this special day, let's take a look at the love story of President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Xi Jinping respects his parents and loves his wife and daughter. He and his wife Peng Liyuan are seen by many as a good example of marriage for the Chinese people.
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan in 1987 on Dongshan Island, Fujian Province. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Love means being together
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan married in September 1987. They didn't hold a big ceremony, just a simple dinner to celebrate with a few colleagues and friends.
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan in September 1989. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Love means caring about each other
As a Party official, Xi Jinping often needed to go out for work inspections, while Peng Liyuan, as a singer, left her footprints across the country as she travelled for performances. Although they were separated most of the time, they shared a mutual understanding and concern for each other.
It is quite cold in winter in Fujian province where Xi was working, so Peng sewed a quilt for her husband. When Peng was working at the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, Xi would make dumplings and wait for his wife to return home for the reunion dinner.
Xi Jinping plays with his daughter in Fuzhou. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Love is what it takes to build a home
Xi and Peng were strict parents and thrifty housekeepers.
They wanted their daughter to grow up to be pure and honest.
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan with their daughter and Xi's father Xi Zhongxun. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan wave to the public after arriving at the airport in Islamabad for a state visit to Pakistan on April 20, 2015. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Love is being together for a lifetime
Since Xi Jinping took the office of president, he has appeared with Peng Liyuan on many occasions. The public admire the couple for their bond.
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan take photos with local residents in Liangjiahe Village, Shaanxi Province, on February 13, 2015. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Happiness includes being welcomed by family and the loved ones
On the eve of the Spring Festival in 2015, Xi Jinping visited Liangjiahe in Shaanxi Province, where he had been working as a farmer for nearly seven years. He introduced Peng Liyuan to the residents there using the local accent, saying "This is my wife."
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at the airport in Berlin, Germany on July 4, 2017. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Happiness is holding hands, and sharing an umbrella when it rains
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at the airport in Durban, South Africa on March 26, 2013. [File Photo/Xinhua]
(Left) Xi Jinping holds an umbrella for Peng Liyuan as they walk down the ramp at the airport in Ulan Bator, Mongolia on August 21, 2014. (Right) Xi Jinping holds an umbrella for Peng Liyuan as they walk down the ramp at the airport in Trinidad and Tobago on May 31, 2013. [File Photo/china.org.cn]
Xi Jinping boards the icebreaker Xuelong on November 18, 2014. [File Photo/CCTV]
On November 18, 2014, Xi Jinping boarded the icebreaker Xuelong. After he entered the cabin door, he stretched out his hand to hold Peng Liyuan.
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan arrive in the Republic of Congo for a state visit on March 29, 2013. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Happiness is sharing the same tastes and seeing oneself in the other
The couple has worn matching outfits on various occasions.
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan receive the Key to the City of San Jose from Mayor Johnny Araya in San Jose, Costa Rica on June 3, 2013. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan wrap up their visit to Australia on November 19, 2014. [File Photo/CCTV]
Xi Jinping meets with King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands in Amsterdam on March 22, 2015. [File Photo/Xinhua]
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan smell coffee flowers during their visit to a coffee farm in Costa Rica in June, 2013. [File Photo/CCTV]
Happiness is sharing the little joys in life
In June 2015, Xi Jinping invited his wife Peng Liyuan to smell coffee flowers during their visit to a family at a coffee farm in Costa Rica.
Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan sit on a swing together during their visit to Gujarat, India in September, 2014. [File Photo/china.org.cn]
In September 2014, Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan enjoyed time together on a swing in Gujarat, India.
Peng Liyuan holds a koala during a visit to Canberra, Australia in November, 2014. [File Photo/Xinhua]
In November 2014, when Peng Liyuan held a koala in her arms, Xi, standing nearby, reminded his wife not to touch the animal's head.
Xi Jinping, who is attentive to the happiness of his family, and believes in his heart the importance of making a difference, regards a good life for families as his goal.
"National prosperity, rejuvenation, and the people's well-being must ultimately be embodied in the happiness and fulfillment of families, and in the continuous improvement of the lives of hundreds of millions of people," said Xi.
"As long as a happy life has not yet become a reality for all the people, we must work tirelessly to unite everyone and lead the endeavor to achieve that goal."
It is what Xi said, and what he has been working on.
