Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visits the old town of Heshun, a gateway on the ancient Southern Silk Road that linked China's Sichuan and Yunnan with Myanmar and India, to learn about exchanges, historical and cultural inheritance, as well as ecological and environmental protection along the trade route, in the city of Tengchong, southwest China's Yunnan Province, Jan. 19, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng)

KUNMING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, exchanged greetings with tourists during an inspection tour ahead of the Chinese New Year.

"Xi Dada, where is Peng Mama?" rang out from the crowd Sunday when Xi was visiting the old town of Heshun, a popular tourist destination in southwest China's Yunnan Province.

"[She] didn't come," Xi replied with a smile. "Just busy preparing for the New Year at home like everyone else."

Xi Dada and Peng Mama are popular nicknames Chinese netizens have given Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan, which are translated as Uncle Xi and Aunt Peng.

Video clips of the short interaction gained waves of likes across various Chinese social media platforms.

In Heshun, Xi also visited a local library and museum on the ancient Southern Silk Road. ■