Peng Liyuan, wife of Chinese President Xi Jinping, on Saturday met with Maria de Lourdes Alcivar, first lady of Ecuador, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The conversation revolved around fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and the cultural exchanges between the two countries.

In a chamber decorated with China's peonies and Ecuador's roses, Peng warmly welcomed Alcivar, who accompanied Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso to the opening ceremony of the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games on Friday. 

Hailing Beijing's efforts to host the Winter Olympics despite the COVID-19 impact, Alcivar expressed appreciation for China's assistance to Ecuador in fighting the pandemic and wished the athletes of both countries success in the Games. 

Knowing that Alcivar was interested in traditional Chinese culture, Peng arranged a Peking Opera show and introduced the long history and artistic features of Peking Opera to her. They enjoyed excerpts from classics "Sell Water" and "Drunken Concubine" together.

Alcivar praised the excellent performance of the artists and said she hoped to learn more about traditional Chinese culture in the future. 

Peng said joint efforts can be made to deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and Ecuador to enhance mutual understanding.