Footage of Rubio checking out the ceiling of one of the grand reception rooms in which President Xi Jinping hosted his US counterpart Donald Trump on Thursday went viral online.
The candid footage catches Rubio in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, his gaze fixed upwards on the ceiling’s ornate decorations. The sprawling Great Hall near Tiananmen Square is used for ceremonial and legislative events.
Rubio repeatedly pointed towards the ceiling, rotating his fingers to trace its ornate patterns before giving a thumbs-up in approval. Turning to US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Rubio continued to gesture towards specific details – interpreted by many Chinese viewers as a sign of his respect for the country’s craftsmanship.
Spanning over 1,120 square metres (12,055 sq ft) on the building’s second floor, the design of the East Hall’s ceiling draws inspiration from traditional Chinese architecture, notably the dou gong structure of interlocking wooden brackets and zao jing sunken ceiling panels that are often given intricate decorations.
The hall’s ceiling features three large sunken octagons with detailed wood carvings, each of which surrounds a large crystal chandelier.
On the wall behind where the US delegation sat hangs a 16-metre-long (52 feet), 3-metre-wide Chinese painting titled Youyan Golden Autumn, which depicts autumn scenery in northern China and is inscribed with chairman Mao Zedong’s calligraphy.