Buses in Washington were painted with Chinese wildlife before President Xi's visit. HE XIAOYAN FOR CHINA DAILY

Prior to the scheduled arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, some special arrangements and decorations are being rolled out for the occasion.

DC buses have been painted with representations of Chinese wildlife and cultural heritage, such as giant pandas. At bike-sharing stations, displays show how bicycles have changed in China over the past 30 years. At the hotel where Xi will be staying, umbrellas decorated with pandas have been handed out to employees as a way to welcome the Chinese president.

On Wednesday, streets in downtown Washington were closed to traffic and visitors had to go on foot. Many of the pedestrians were aware of President Xi's upcoming visit and said it was a big event for them for a variety of reasons, some hoping to find business opportunities while others are just fans of the Chinese leader.

Guilmo Rodriguez, a 41-year-old businessman from Mexico City, said his company exports a large amount of goods to China and so he has been following the Chinese leaders for any news that might affect his business. Rodriguez also applauds Xi's anticorruption efforts and has become a fan of his after several visits to China.

"I hate corrupt officials who stand in the way of upright businessmen," Rodriguez said. "Anti-graft will help build a better country for its citizens, and that's why I like Xi."

Terry Guo, a 28-year-old architect from Maryland who was born in Shanghai and raised in the US, said he felt good about President Xi coming to the area. "Half of my blood is Chinese and that gives me an indivisible connection with the country," he said.

Liliane Willens, a retired French professor who was also born in Shanghai and lived in China until 1951, said she will watch the live broadcast of President Xi's visit in Washington. "I know about him, but I love China, a reason that couldn't be bigger," she said.