Trump said he still has vivid memories of his 2017 visit to the Palace Museum. The Temple of Heaven, which has stood magnificently for more than six centuries, showcases the fine art of classical Chinese architecture as well as the splendid and profound traditional culture, he said.

"It's great. Great place. Incredible. China is beautiful," Trump said.

Both the United States and China are great countries, and their peoples are both great and wise, Trump said, adding that the two countries should deepen mutual understanding and enhance friendship between their peoples.

The Temple of Heaven visit on Thursday continued a tradition in China-US diplomacy in which culturally significant venues are used to convey messages beyond the formal agenda. Trump's visit to the Temple of Heaven marked the first time in 51 years that a sitting US president had visited the landmark since then-US president Gerald Ford toured it during his visit to China in 1975.