Dunedin to sign friendship agreement with Qingyuan

Dunedin to sign friendship agreement with Qingyuan

Dunedin (Friday, 28 April 2017) – Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull heads to China next week to sign a Friendship City agreement with Qingyuan and help promote Dunedin’s creative sector by launching an exhibition at the prestigious Yu Gallery in Shanghai.

Dunedin’s association with Qingyuan goes back to June 2015, when the two cities signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate in the areas of education, tourism and business.

Mr Cull says that since then, the relationship has grown rapidly.

“Otago Polytechnic has extremely close connections with Qingyuan’s vocational training institutions, and an increasing number of Qingyuan students have been coming to Dunedin to further their education at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.”

Last year, Qingyuan No1 and No2 high schools signed respective memorandum of understandings with Bayfield High School and Kaikorai Valley College. The agreements see Dunedin heavily promoted as a study destination in Qingyuan. Furthermore, 30 Qingyuan teachers will travel to Dunedin later this year for a two month training programme.

Tourism between the two cities also continues to grow. China Southern Airlines began flying direct between Guangzhou, just south of Qingyuan, and Christchurch from December 2015, boosting the South Island's economy by around $100 million a year.

Mr Cull says signing the Friendship City agreement would further strengthen existing relationships between education providers, tourism operators and businesses in Dunedin and Qingyuan, and help to open the door to further opportunities.

During the trip, Mr Cull will also help showcase Dunedin on the international stage, launching a multimedia exhibition in Shanghai featuring Dunedin artists and designers.

Anything Could Happen is a collection of images, art and fashion inspired by Dunedin. The exhibition includes over 40 pieces of work including prints, photos, paintings, ceramics, jewellery, fashion garments, shoes, weaving and sculpture.

It will be displayed at the Yu Gallery, part of Yu Garden, the big sister of Dunedin's Chinese Garden, Lan Yuan over a month long period. Yu Garden is more than 400 years old and is regarded as a national treasure by the Chinese people, attracting six million visitors a year. The exhibition will be held from 8 May to 9 June 2017.

“This exhibition is a real export opportunity that promotes Dunedin and its quality of creativity and education at one of Shanghai’s leading tourist spots,” says Mr Cull.

“Our exhibitors will be introduced to Shanghai artists, designers and event organisers with future collaborations in mind.”

This project is a collaboration between the DCC, Enterprise Dunedin and Otago Polytechnic. It links back to Dunedin’s Sister City relationship with Shanghai, Ara Toi Dunedin’s Arts and Culture Strategy and the city’s economic development strategy.

While in Shanghai, Mr Cull will also meet with the new mayor, Mr Ying Yong, who assumed office in January 2017.

He will also visit Guangzhou to launch The Journey to Lan Yuan, the documentary produced by Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, on the history of Dunedin’s Chinese community and its origins in the Guangdong Province around Guangzhou.

“The film launch, along with the Shanghai exhibition, give Dunedin outstanding exposure in two of China’s most significant cities,” Mr Cull says.

© Scoop Media