Is history in making on Chinese lakeside?

A one-on-one meeting, a tour of one of the best known museums of China, dinner and a stroll by a picturesque lake followed by a boat ride on the Yangtze river will mark the two-day unprecedented informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping beginning here on Friday.

Billed as a 'heart-to-heart' summit aimed at finding a meeting ground on some of the most contentious issues, including the border dispute bedevilling the two countries, Modi and Xi will begin their marathon one-on-one talks after lunch.

It will be followed by talks between the two leaders accompanied by six top officials from each side. The two will later have dinner at the famous East Lake, a favourite holiday destination of China's revolutionary leader Mao Zedong.

The two leaders began their informal meetings way back in 2014 when Xi was hosted by Modi at the Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat. They have met and interacted with each other in about a dozen international meetings since then. The summit is seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff last year.

Meanwhile, the city of Wuhan is laying out the red carpet for Prime Minister Modi.

The city known as China's happiest city, with its tree-lined streets and bicycle lanes. In a pre-departure statement, Prime Minister Modi said he and President Xi will review the developments in Sino-Indian relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. Officials said the talks could become a game-changer if the two leaders manage to reach consensus on finding a solution to their problems.