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International Links
Latest Outgoings and Incomings
2009
In November 2009, Penrith City Council will be celebrating major anniversaries with four of it's six international relationship
Beijing Xicheng district and Kunshan City, both in China, will be celebrating their 11th and 6th anniversaries of our mutual relationshipps.
Penrith City Council has identified the period of 11-15 November 2009 as the ideal week to hold combined celebrations, coinciding with the 50th anniversaries of Penrith being declared a city on 14 November 1959.
For a full listing of activities being held as part of the 'Penrith Celebrates 09' activities, click here
2008
In February 2008, the now annual visit by early childhood education students from Hakusan City in Japan brought thirteen students from Kinjo College in Penrith for four days. This year they stayed with local host families, mostly members of Penrith International Friendship Committee and others who have visited our sister cities in Japan. They sat in on a music therapy session at the Nordoff-Robbins Golden Stave Therapy Centre at UWS, visited a private preschool and spent a day at Penrith City Council children's centres, as well as visiting Muru Mittigar and the Blue Mountains.
In May, a team of four distance runners accepted Xicheng District's invitation to take part in the 2008 Beijing International Marathon, staged 100 days out from the start of the Olympic Games. They formed a team with local Xicheng runners, and placed 7th of 49 teams. Rob Spilling led the delegation - this was his second distance run on behalf of Penrith in Xicheng District, demonstrating how much Rob enjoyed the opportunity.
| Xicheng District of Beijing invited Penrith to take part in two other 2008 Beijing Olympics lead-up events this year. In March a team of seventeen local women from Nepean Valley BjP Physical Culture clubs travelled to Beijing to take part in " Exchanging Performance of Community Physical Fitness Activities" festival. Again they were thrilled with the reception they received and the program of sightseeing to all Beijing's major tourist spots. As one of the group said "Overall the trip was extremely enjoyable and I don’t remember the last time I have laughed so much! And I can’t forget our tour guides, Mr John and Sonic! They were wonderful! I had an incredible time and feel very privileged to have been offered such an opportunity." |
| Hakusan City in Japan's Ishikawa Prefecture sent their first citizens delegation to Penrith in April 2008. Previous delegations from Hakusan have been civic or professional visitors. This was the first made up of local citizens, mostly members of music and dance societies, or from Hakusan International Association. Their visit was timed to coincide with Seniors Week and they asked to visit Seniors Centres and a local retirement village, to perform their traditional music and meet with senior citizens from Penrith LGA. The oldest visitor (front row, second from left) was eighty-two, and described as the "most genki" of them all, ie the fittest. The visit was deemed a great success and is likely to lead to further visits by Hakusan residents. |
| In May 2008, to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Mutual Cooperation Agreement between the City of Penrith and Xicheng District of Beijing in China, a delegation from the People's Government of Xicheng came to Penrith to open officially an exhibition of photographs taken by citizens of Xicheng of their city and its people and places. In fact, two exhibitions were launched - the first at the Penrith Regional Gallery in Emu Plains, Gardens of Xicheng, shown with Penjing and the Sydney Rock Orchid by Tony Lennon. The second - People and Places of Xicheng - is currently in the Foyer of the Civic Centre. At the Civic Dinner to welcome the delegation, Cr David Bradbury MP, Member for Lindsay, presented both Mayor Greg Davies and Li Jiang, leader of the Xicheng delegation, with a signed letter from the Prime Minister the Hon. Kevin Rudd MP, congratulating the two cities on their sustained friendship. |
For twenty years, high school students from Penrith Local Government Area have had the opportunity to apply for a student exchange with Penrith’s first sister city, Fujieda in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. In July, six students from Fujieda came to live with their Penrith host families for three weeks. Their program was managed by members of the Penrith International Friendship Committee, who also organised the return visit by four local students in October. Some one hundred local students have had the experience of a lifetime, living with a Japanese family and absorbing their culture, and forming strong bonds with their ‘brother’ or ‘sister’ in Fujieda.
2007
Since mid-2007, Penrith has received several international delegations from its sister and friendship cities, starting with three Grade 6 elementary school students from Kunshan in Jiangsu Province, China who study the original Chinese opera, Kun'qu Opera. The students performed at the Mayoral Musicale and as special guests at the International Battle of the Primary School Choirs. The costumes and makeup for this traditional Chinese theatre were spectacular (see above), and the makeup alone took three hours to transform two school students into classical performers.
In June of 2007 members of Penrith City Band accepted an invitation by Xicheng District of Beijing to take part in the Beijing Olympic Cultural Festival and Xicheng District International Tourism Cultural Festival held on the shores of Lake Shichahai in Beijing. This two day festival was one of many events being staged in Beijing in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympic Games. The twelve members of the Band who performed in Beijing were treated to a sightseeing program which included a visit to the Great Wall (see photo) and also had a chance to meet with representatives of other Xicheng District friendship cities, from California, Japan, Spain and South Korea.
International Links
Since it signed its first agreement with Fujieda, Japan in 1984, Penrith City has gradually expanded its international links program. Presently Penrith has international links with:
A range of programs is run between Penrith and its international links in areas such as education, culture and the economy. Penrith City Council manages the programs with support from members of the local community.
Families who would like to host a visitor from China or Japan for anywhere from one night to two weeks, and who live in the Penrith LGA, are warmly encouraged to contact the City Partnerships Officer.
Information on Penrith International Links and associated programs, or applications for membership to the Penrith International Friendship Committee are available from Council's
City Partnerships Officer on +61 2 4732 7613 or email jturner@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au
For more information on Penrith's Sister City affiliations, click here
© Penrith Valley | River, Mountains, Lakes
Phone: (61 2) 1300 736 836 Fax: (61 2) 4732 7690
E-mail: pentour@penrithcity.nsw.gov.au
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 60, Penrith NSW 2751
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