Sister Cities

Zhanjiang - China

This Sister City relationship was established in September 2004, following a delegation to mainland China headed by Cairns Mayor Cr Kevin Byrne, and including the CEO of Advance Cairns Mr David Maguire.

Zhanjiang is one of 15 cities in the southern province economic zone of mainland China, and is close to Hong Kong situated in the delta of the Pearl River system.

Zhanjiang is the major southern port and west of the region’s capital Guangzhou (Canton) in Guangdong region.

The region has a population of 80 million, of which 6.57 million live in and around Zhanjiang – a city with a gross domestic product (GDP) of $38 billion.

The peninsula city is the focus of a large mining and mineral exploration region as well as the port gateway to some of the largest agricultural producing areas in Southern China.

Zhanjiang sits at the mouth of three major river systems which feed into the delta - Xigiang, Beijiang and Dongjiang.

The average winter temperatures range between 8 and 17 degrees with summer temperatures not unlike those of Cairns, between 25 and 29 degrees.

China has 34 regions of which the Guangdong covers a staggering 180,000 square kilometres.

Cairns City Council looks forward to fostering this latest Sister City relationship built on friendship, economic, community, cultural and social exchanges.

Important links have been established focussing on reciprocal visits and exchanges in education, technical engineering, arts and cultre. The Zhanjiang/Cairns Friendship Garden in Zhanjiang will feature many species of exotic flora native to Cairns and the Tropical North.