The 40th anniversary of the Hastings-Guilin Sister City relationship has been formally marked, with the mayors of both
cities signing a reaffirmation document.
At a ceremony in the Osmanthus Gardens in Cornwall Park yesterday (March 3), Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst
highlighted the benefits of the relationship, including that hundreds of Hastings teachers, scientists, business people,
councillors, students, musicians and cultural group members had travelled to Guilin over the four decades, to experience
life in Guilin.
In return, Hastings had hosted numerous groups from Guilin.
“We have shared our culture and our heritage, shared knowledge and learnings across a range of fields, from science to
education, and learned much about each other’s way of life,” said Mrs Hazlehurst.
She said it was great that Hastings District Council youth councillors were at the ceremony, as they would be the
generation that would need to keep the Sister City relationship flourishing “over the next 100 years”.
“Our students who take part in exchange visits with their Guilin peers have been our most frequent travellers, and when
they return they are so excited and energised by the things they have seen and experienced.”
Also at the ceremony were Hastings District councillors, a Hastings Rural Community Board representative, Hastings
District Council International Advisory Group members, and three special guests representing their organisations’
members: NZ Chinese Association vice president Jenny Too, NZ China Friendship Association president Dave Bromwich, and
Hawke's Bay Multicultural Association president Sukhdeep Singh.
Hastings District councillor and Hastings-Guilin Sister Cities events organiser Kevin Watkins said it had been intended
to be a larger event, but the COVID Level 2 restrictions resulted in a much-reduced guest list, to enable social
distancing.
It was fitting that the ceremony was held in the main pavilion in the Osmanthus Gardens, he said. “The gardens were laid
out in 1996, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our Sister City relationship. The Guangxi Institute of Botany sent
over one of its fine landscape designers, Zhao Jian, who spent a year working with our people to design and lay out the
garden. Much of it was funded through donations, not least the main pavilion, which was a gift from the Hawke’s Bay
Chinese Association.
“Every year, when we festoon the gardens with lanterns for a week, it is a reminder of the strong relationship we have
with our Sister City Guilin.”
In Guilin, Mayor Qin Chuncheng had signed the reaffirmation as a Hastings exhibition was opened to the public in the
Central Hall of the Guilin Museum. It is made up of photos and video, celebrating the relationship and showing “the
landscape and life of Hastings”.
Further Sister City events in Hastings planned for this anniversary week, which had to be delayed with Level 2 being in
place, had now been spread across the year. The Lighting of the Osmanthus Gardens lantern festival will run over the
second week of April, and a live show, celebration dinner and trade and education showcase are scheduled for September.