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Xiamen Anniversary Kicks Off with Kids' Art

03.07.07

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the start of Wellington's sister-city relationship with the Chinese city of Xiamen - and a number of events and activities, in both cities, are planned to celebrate the occasion.

Wellington Mayor Kerry Prendergast says the sister-city link with Xiamen is one of New Zealand's longest-standing official ties with China – and the foresight of civic leaders from both countries in the 1980s should now be acknowledged.

"Twenty years ago China, despite its size, was not really a country in the forefront of our collective conscience. But what a difference two decades makes. Our decision to forge ties has, from our point of view, given us a valuable foothold in China.

"Our two cities are, in many ways, very similar – so we're a good pairing. The communications and visits have led to ongoing friendships and established contacts that are now proving useful as Wellington businesses and other organisations increasingly look to China – for obvious reasons."

Celebrations to mark the anniversary are starting with an art competition. Schoolchildren around the Wellington region have been invited to draw, paint or print A3-sized images based on the theme Life in Wellington.

The event is organised by Wellington Xiamen Association with support from the City Council, Capital E, the Wellington Artists Group and New Zealand Oriental Art Society. Asia New Zealand Foundation is sponsoring this event.

Association President Liping Jiang is encouraging youngsters between the ages of seven and 13 to take time over the school holidays to enter the competition, which closes on 27 July.

Several hundred dollars' worth of prizes are up for grabs – and 30 entries from the competition will be exhibited at Capital E in August along with 30 artworks produced by Xiamen children. The exhibition will then be shifted to Xiamen later this year.

Entry forms and information on the art competition are on the Wellington Xiamen Association website.

Wellington Xiamen Association website

Other highlights of the celebrations this year include:

• A group of leading artists from Xiamen will visit Wellington during the exhibition period and hold joint activities with Wellington artists.
• The City of Xiamen will name a local road ‘Wellington Street'.
• A ‘Wellington Garden', featuring plants native to the Capital, will be established in the next few weeks in time to take a starring role at the Sixth China International Garden and Flower Exposition in Xiamen in September.

Background Information

Xiamen is on the south-eastern coast of China. Its population is about 1.15 million.

View Map (23Kb PDF)

• Like Wellington, Xiamen has a highly-educated population. Some 20.6% of the population are graduates of higher education. This is an extremely high ratio in China. Xiamen University is one of the top universities in China - and has strong research, science and technology capability.
• Xiamen is one of the top tourist cities in China. In recent years it has won many titles such as "The Most Congenial City in China", "International Garden City", "Best Tourist City" and "UNCHS Human Settlement Award".
• The city has also a dynamic population flow with neighbouring wealthy cities such as Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong.
• Xiamen was one of four Chinese Special Economic Zones opened to the world in 1981. Multinational companies like Dell, Kodak, TDK, WalMart and Metro all have a presence in Xiamen.
• A culturally diversified and tolerant city, Xiamen is considered a window on Chinese religious culture. Buddhists, Catholics, Protestants and Muslims live side by side in the city.
• Wellington-Xiamen relationship history - In the mid-1980s Wellington City Council initiated discussions with the Chinese Embassy about establishing friendly city links with a Chinese city following a trip to China by Prime Minister David Lange. The Chinese authorities suggested that Xiamen was a good partner because of the similarities between the two cities and because it had recently been given Special Economic Zone status, designed to encourage foreign investment and trade.
• In July 1987, Mr Zou Erjun, Mayor of Xiamen, visited Wellington and signed the Sister-City Relationship Agreement with Wellington Mayor Jim Belich.
• The Sister City Charter is broad: "Extensive exchange and co-operation in industry, trade, tourism, agriculture, science and technology, culture and arts, education, physical culture and sports … to accelerate the development of economic co-operation in various fields between the two cities.
• Since 1987 there have been many cultural and educational exchanges between the two cities, involving thousands of people.

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• Sister Cities

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