Sister Cities
Sister city and friendship city relationships stimulate interaction between people of different countries and cultures on a people-to-people basis.
The aim is to foster international understanding and friendship, to encourage exchange of education, culture and sport, and to promote, where possible, tourism and trade. These concepts are recognised as a catalyst for economic growth.
Our Sister Cities
Pulaski – Virginia, USA
An industrial town in south-western Virginia, the seat of Pulaski County. Pulaski is situated on Peak Creek, near the New River, and lies in a farming area between the Blue Ridge and Allegheny Mountains. Our sister city relationship with Pulaski was established in March 1974.
Learn more about Pulaski, Virginia
Ashburton – Devon, United Kingdom
A small town midway between Exeter and Plymouth with a population of around 3,000. The position on the southern fringe of Dartmoor makes Ashburton suitable for many outdoor activities. Our sister city relationship with Ashburton was established in March 1982.
Learn more about Ashburton, United Kingdom
Shiozawa – Niigata, Japan
Located in the southern part of Niigata Prefecture with a population of 21,000. The town is spread over an area of 190 square kilometres and is surrounded by mountains on all sides. The Uono River flows through the town with fertile rice fields stretching on both sides. Famous for its seven skifields, around 2.5 million people visit Shiozawa annually.
Much development has taken place during the past few years with the encouragement of successful communications through the Niigata Biennial International Children's Art Exhibition, where local primary schools from the Ashburton district exhibit artwork in this exhibition. Delegations from Shiozawa visit Ashburton before participating in Sportsfest, the friendship and sporting exchange between New Zealand and Japan, which began in 1991.
Our sister city relationship with Shiozawa was established in October 1987. More recently (on October 1, 2005) the town of Shiozawa was merged into the city of Minamiuonuma. The modern city of Minamiuonuma was established in 2004 when two other towns (Muikamachi and Yamato) merged. The city has an estimated population of 73,000.
Puyang – Henan, People's Republic of China
Puyang is a prefecture level city in north-eastern Henan province, People's Republic of China and is on the north bank of the Yellow River. The population is over 3.6 million.
Puyang has a significant petro-chemical industry sector with the surrounding area having rich reserves of high-quality petroleum and natural gas. As an important national petro-chemical energy base, large-sized enterprises have been established there.
Ashburton District has developed strong links with Puyang in recent years. Delegations from Puyang have visited Ashburton District in 2000, 2006, 2010 and 2015.
Our sister city relationship with Puyang was established in September 2000.