Barack Obama has revealed how he swept his wife Michelle off her feet on their first date with lunch at an art museum followed by a leisurely walk and then a Spike Lee film.

The president and first lady revealed the details of their first date, which took place in 1989, in a video released on his website to promote a competition to win dinner with him and his wife.

They explain how they spent a day together, beginning at the Art Institute of Chicago where they had lunch before taking a stroll down the city's Michigan Avenue.

They then went to see the then recently-released Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing about racial tensions in 1980s New York.

In the video, Mrs Obama recalls the date saying: "It was a cool date, we spent the whole day together, he was showing me all facets of his character. We went to the Art Institute."

A smiling Mr Obama theninterjects, points into the camera and says: "Art. Guys out there, it impresses people."

Mrs Obama continues: "He showed his cultural side and then we took a nice long walk down Michigan Avenue."

Mr Obama, again smiling at the camera, adds: "Kind of romantic."

Mrs Obama struggles to recall whether they went for dinner before or after the museum, before her husband corrects her, saying: "We didn't have dinner we actually had lunch, at the Art Institute. There's a little courtyard with a little fountain. Yeah it was very nice."

Mrs Obama added: "He showed all the sides – he was hip, cutting edge, cultural, sensitive. The fountain – nice touch. The walk – patient."

Looking pleased with himself, Mr Obama again smiles at the camera and says: "Take tips, gentlemen."

Mr and Mrs Obama, who met when he was a summer associate at Sidley Austin, the law firm she worked at, married three years later in 1992.

It is not the first time the couple have given romantic advice. They have previously spoken about the importance of married couples on making time for each other, setting aside evening regularly for "date nights".

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)