BEIJING, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan invited U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump to the Palace Museum, or the Forbidden City, in Beijing, as the U.S. president started his state visit to China on Wednesday.

The Forbidden City, the former residence of China's imperial families during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties, is a national landmark and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It covers about 72 hectares with a total floor space of approximately 150,000 square meters.