Activities
Chinese Week 2013
It’s the Year of the Snake, and the Valley’s biggest Chinese New Year celebration went off with a bang — and a twirl — Friday at the ChineseCulturalCenter in Phoenix. Classical dancers, including Vanessa Hu, martial-arts demonstrators and food vendors all offered a taste of tradition as part of the Phoenix Chinese Week Culture and Food Festival. Miss Arizona International Connie Tsang posed for pictures, and local politicians and dignitaries dropped in Friday to see the famous lion dance and other attractions.
Councilman Michael Johnson (left) and Councilman Sal DiCiccio (right) made opening remarks.
Vanessa Hu performs a Chinese traditional long sleeve dance at the opening ceremony.
The Chengdu Committee booth
There were many traditional Chinese dishes.
The Chinese Week Banquet and Dragon Dance
Doing Business with China Panel Discussion
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Chengdu Committee Members Attend LA Chinese Consulate Reception
On Tuesday May 8, 2012, representatives of the Phoenix Sister Cities Chengdu Committee, led by Chairman Al Yee, traveled to Los Angeles, California, to attend a reception at the home of the Honorable Qiu Shaofang, Consul General of The People’s Republic of China. The purpose of the reception was to express the consulate’s sincere gratitude for the US cities of their consular district efforts in promoting Sino-US friendship. Representing the Chengdu Committee at the reception were Mr. Yee and members Leung Eng, Allan Yang and Miles Davenport.
The reception was also attended by representatives of a number of California cities that have sister cities in China. The event afforded the Chengdu Committee members the opportunity to meet and exchange information with both the consulate staff and other guests which will no doubt expand the opportunities for future cooperation domestically and internationally.
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From left: Zhao Shangsen, Consul, Political Section;
Allan Yang, Chengdu Committee Member; Miles Davenport, Chengdu Committee Member; Leung Eng, Chengdu Committee Member; Wang Peng, Consul, Overseas Chinese Affairs Office and Al Yee, Chengdu Committee Chair.
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Chengdu Committee members and Consul General Qiu Shaofang (second from right).
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Chengdu Committee Chair Al Yee addresses the reception as Consul General Qiu Shaofang looks on.
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Delegation members with Consul General Qiu Shaofang.
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Committee Chair Presents Awards at Chengdu Disability Federation
In December 2011, while visiting Chengdu on business, Mr. Al Yee, the Phoenix Sister Cities Chair, visited the Chengdu Disability Federation where he presented awards and citations to Chengdu participants in the Phoenix Sister Cities Disability Awareness Committee’s 2011 Artists with Disabilities competition.
Al also met with staff members and the children they were helping utilizing the Federation’s state of the art programs and facilities.
Chengdu artists have been very active in the Disability Awareness Committee’s annual completion and this is the second year that a Chengdu representative has placed high in the competition.
Mayor Gordon was pleasantly overwhelmed at the hospitality of the people of our Sister City, Chengdu. From the moment he arrived he was treated with utmost respect and consideration. They provided beautiful meals for him and he very much enjoyed the cuisine. Walking through the streets he was impressed by the level of cleanliness and the low crime rate. Even during the late evening hours, the city was safe and orderly.
A highlight of the visit took place at the Panda Research Base. Spending time with the Pandas was incredible. Mayor Gordon was able to have a personal meet and greet with a Panda - a visit which is reserved only for dignitaries and Jackie Chan of course. This was an amazing experience for Mayor Gordon which allowed him to truly see why the Panda is so precious to the people of China.
The visit was a tremendous success and strengthened the bond between the City of Phoenix, AZ and Chengdu, China.
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Phoenix Delegation Attends Dedication of Kindergarten
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On May 25, 2011 the members of Phoenix’s delegation to the Chengdu International Sister Cities Conference attended the dedication of the Wenjingjiang Village, City of Chongzhou kindergarten that was built to replace a school that was destroyed during the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Chengdu and Chongzhou governments, the Chengdu Municipal Foreign Affairs office, school officials, villagers and local kindergarten and primary aged school children who provided entertainment at the event. Following is the text of the school’s dedication plaque:
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“ON MAY 12, 2008 AT 14:28; AN 8.0 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE HIT SICHUAN PROVINCE. THIS KINDERGARTEN WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED, LOVE HELPED US TO SURVIVE: THE CITY OF PHOENIX, SISTER CITY OF CHENGDU, INSTANTLY OFFERED A HELPING HAND. A GENEROUS DONATION UP TO $167,000 FROM PHOENIX SISTERS AND BROTHERS WAS USED TO RECONSTRUCT WENJINGJIANG PHOENIX KINDERGARTEN. THE RECONSTRUCTION WAS COMPLETED IN MAY, 2011.
SUCH A FAVOR IS TOO GREAT TO RETURN OR FORGET. IN THIS REBORN LAND, WENJINGJIANG PHORNIX KINDERGARTEN WILL FOREVER WITNESS THE GREST FREINDSHIP BETWEEN PHOENIX AND CHENGDU
THIS MEMORIAL MONUMENT IS ERCECTED AS SYMBOL OF FRIENDSHIP AND GRATITUDE”
The Chengdu Committee raised total of approximately $185,000 to aid in the Sichuan earthquake reconstruction and the remaining funds were utilized to shore-up and rebuild farmers’ homes in the Wenjingjiang area.
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Chengdu Delegation Presents Award
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While our delegation was in Chengdu, Chengdu Committee Arts & Culture Chair Elena Zee presented an Artists with Disabilities Award to Shasha Mou, a Chengdu student who was injured in the May 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The presentation was followed by a delegation visit to the Chengdu Disabilities Federation’s state of the art facilities.
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Councilman Johnson leads Phoenix Sister Cities delegation to Chengdu to dedicate the Wenjinjiang Phoenix Kindergarten School
Click on the photo above to learn more about the recent trip to Chengdu.
Mayor Gordon visits Chendu and addresses the World Scientific Development Forum
Mayor Gordon delivered a key note speech addressing the importance for cities and nations to stand together when emergencies strike. He expressed the importance of communication and personal relationships to transcend distance, culture and language.
Click HERE to read more.
Visit the Panda Sculpture
The giant panda sculpture donated by Chengdu can only be described as magnificent. Appropriately named "Maternal Love", this beautiful work of art makes your heart smile. The unveiling of giant mother panda gently cradling her baby panda sent the message Chengdu Mayor Wang Rong Xuan hoped to bring to the people of Phoenix: "The love of a mother for her child is universal, and so it should be for all our people in our two cities." His country's gift to the City of Phoenix for the Margaret T. Hance Park is a reminder of the lovable black and white "bears" all of us loved as children and have never forgotten as adults.
