First off, what even is a sister city, or twin town? Basically, they’re municipalities that partner with each other in order to promote cross-cultural contact, human connection, mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation. Sister cities often engage with each other across activities and programs, including those related to healthcare, business, education + the arts.
Raleigh first became affiliated with the sister cities program in 1986, and since then has partnered with five different international cities across continents in order to create cultural dialogue. Here’s a bit about each one.
📍Kingston-upon-hull, England (1986)
A longtime British supply base + port, this city is located on the River Hull in Yorkshire, about midway between London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland in the U.K. Hull (as it’s often called) is home to the Queen’s Gardens and has partnered with Raleigh for visual arts and agriculture exchanges, beer collaborations, and Guy Fawkes night celebrations.
📍Compiègne, France (1989)
Located less than an hour from Paris, this village is located on the Oise River near France’s national forest. Known historically as the site of Joan of Arc’s capture, Compiègne also features a traffic roundabout named for Raleigh — le carrefoure du Raleigh. The cities partner on events such as school exchanges, performance group visits + the annual Armistice Day celebration at the N.C. State Belltower.
📍Rostock, Germany (2001)
Home to the oldest university in continental Europe, Rostock is a port city located two hours north of Berlin on the Baltic Sea, home to the annual Hanse Sail festival + a major player in the German shipping industry. The city has partnered with Raleigh in various ways, including monthly culture and film nights, research exchanges, and the annual International Holiday Market that coincides with the Raleigh Christmas parade.
📍Xiangyang, China (2009)
First built during the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C.E to 24 C.E.), this ancient city has long been a major transportation hub between southern and northern regions of China, thanks to its proximity to the Han River. Xiangyang has partnered with Raleigh for numerous business, cultural + education exchanges, and together with our City of Oaks won the “most innovative” award from the Sister Cities International organization.
📍Nairobi, Kenya (2012)
The largest city in Africa and the center of the African textile industry, Nairobi is known for dense tree cover, parks + green spaces, not unlike Raleigh. The National Museums of Kenya have collaborated with with N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, and the partnership also creates a lot of engagement with the large Kenyan population in the Triangle.
Raleigh’s sister cities were instrumental in establishing the city’s annual International Festival, which celebrates more than 60 different cultures each year in downtown Raleigh through a variety of events and demonstrations held over three days. (👉Save the date: the next International Festival will be held March 6-8, 2020.) To find out more about all of the different sister cities events going on around town, or to find out how you can get involved, click here. Because, as we say, y’all means all.