Sister city since: April 23, 1998

Overview

Valenciennes, located in the Nord department of the Hauts-de-France region and on the Escaut River, is one of the most important industrial and commercial cities in northern France, with a population of around 430,000 as of 2019 and an area of 6,350 square kilometers.

The city of Valenciennes has a profound culture with a unique architectural style. It boasts historical buildings such as Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Spanish Mansion and several museums, libraries, and opera houses. Once known for its lace-making industry, the city is now dominated by metallurgy, steel rolling and machinery. It has five universities, with the most representative being Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France.

Relations with Yichang

The friendly exchanges and cooperation between Yichang and Valenciennes began with higher education. In 1995, the two cities agreed to establish a sister city relationship. Later in April 1998, they formally concluded the sister city relations.

In terms of high-level exchanges, the two sides have sent 14 delegations, which has promoted exchanges and cooperation in areas such as youth, art, medicine, urban construction, taxation, and transportation. During the SARS epidemic, Valenciennes donated RMB 100,000 to Yichang.

As for talent training, Yichang Gezhouba College of Hydroelectric Engineering (predecessor of Three Gorges University) and the University of Valenciennes in France established a sister school relationship in the 1980s. Over the years, many French students have studied in Yichang. A lot of Yichang students also went to Université Polytechnique des Hauts-de-France for postgraduate programs.

In youth exchanges, Yichang No.1 Middle School and French High School in Vado established a sister school relationship in the early 1990s and signed a Confucius Institute agreement in 2007.

Regarding cultural exchanges, Yichang participated in the first Paris Seine Water Festival and held a photography exhibition. It also participated in the Year of Culture in Valenciennes and the COW PARADE carving event.