On November 13, two new sculptures were added to the mesmerizing landscape of Yuntai Garden sited along the range of Baiyun Mountain, namely “Gorilla of Brunel” given by Bristol and “Europe · Asia” presented by Yekaterinburg. Attending the unveiling ceremony were honorary mayor of Bristol, Alexander Yakob, mayor of Yekaterinburg and Mr. Chen Jianhua, mayor of Guangzhou.

On behalf of the 16 million Guangzhou residents and the People’s Government of Guangzhou, Mayor Chen Jianhua expressed his warmest welcome and heartfelt thanks to two mayors and delegations of Bristol and Yekaterinburg. As Mayor Chen pointed out in his speech, Guangzhou has made great headway in developing its friendly relations with Bristol and Yekaterinburg in recent years. Guangzhou has conducted fruitful exchanges and cooperation with the two sister cities in a wide range of areas, including culture, education, sport, trade and personnel communication, and such close cooperation has produced a series of flagship projects that have far-reaching implications. The sculpture, “Gorilla of Brunel” embodies the deep affections that the people of Bristol have for Guangzhou. It is a testimony to the consensus that both cities have reached over such development concepts as innovation, environmental friendliness and low carbon. The sculpture, “Europe · Asia” vividly expresses the unique appeal of Yekaterinburg and embodies a promising vision in which the people of the two cities unite in strength and belief for a joint endeavor to shape a better future.

In 2001, Guangzhou officially established a sister city relationship with Bristol. In 2002, Guangzhou and Yekaterinburg were intertwined as sister cities, with the friendship between the two cities yielding bounty of fruits.