Sisters for 40 years

Our community is celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the Hastings-Guilin Sister City relationship this year – 40 years of student, teacher, science, trade, and cultural exchanges.

Over that time special friendships have formed, information has been shared, and understanding developed.

The date of the original signing was March 4, 1981. This March, Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and Guilin Mayor Qin Chuncheng will sign a renewal of the original commitment. It agrees that Hastings and Guilin will continue to develop their friendship; fostering goodwill and understanding between the people of both districts.

The ever-popular Lighting of the Osmanthus Gardens lantern festival will be held in April. It celebrates our relationship with Guilin every year, and will be bigger and better than ever in 2021. The lanterns will be spread across a greater area in the gardens, and food trucks will line the street.

In September, aligned with the Blossom Festival, a free live show, a Hastings-Guilin information and trade showcase, and a celebratory dinner will be held.

The original plan for the celebration was to hold all events across the week of March 1-7. However with COVID alert levels sitting at 2 in Auckland and most of the Chinese performers and many guests hailing from Auckland, the decision has been made to postpone the events and spread them across the year.

25 February 2021

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