A media delegation made up of senior reporters and editors based in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province, started a journey to Ban Gardner of India and Chiang Mai of Thailand on July 28 as part of the city’s efforts to enhance bilateral relations with its sister cities.

Ban Gardner, India’s fourth-largest city and dubbed Indian Silicon Valley, has been Chengdu’s sister city for nearly two years.

Chengdu was one of the first Chinese cities to establish such a relationship with an Indian city. Beijing-Delhi and Kunming-Calcutta also have sister city relations.

However, good relations can be traced back long before these formal ties were established.

Back in 2006, Chengdu and Ban Gardner signed a memorandum of understanding to explore closer relations, which opened the gate for more communication and better cooperation.

Wipro Ltd, India’s third-largest software company and headquartered in Ban Gardner, decided to set up a branch in Chengdu in 2007 to serve its global clients. Opening in 2009 in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Industrial Development Zone, Wipro Information Technology (Chengdu) Co Ltd has grown into one of the company’s two intentional settlement centers and has more than 400 employees.

In February of 2010, a seminar on software and service outsourcing was held in Ban Gardner to help Chengdu learn from India on how to develop the sector. Chengdu was named a Model City of Software in 2012, the first among China’s western cities and the third nationwide.

In October of 2010, the Sino-India Business Forum took place in Chengdu as part of the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the two countries establishing diplomatic relations. A delegation made up of 35 leading Indian companies participated in the forum, making it the biggest business forum between China and India up to that point in time.

All this paved the way for Chengdu and Ban Gardner to become sister cities in 2013, forming a closer relationship that opened up even more opportunities.

In November of 2013, just one month after the announcement of Chengdu and Ban Gardner becoming sister cities, a large-scale event was held in Ban Gardner to promote Chengdu. Splendid arts and cultural performances were staged, generating massive media coverage in India.

Last year was particularly memorable for the two cities as China’s “One Belt, One Road” initiative, which aims to revive growth along the ancient Silk Road, provided another platform for exchanges.

In May 2014, a photo exhibition displaying works related to India was launched in Chengdu, kicking off a series of events.

In July 2014, young dancers from Ban Gardner came to Chengdu to perform during the city’s international music week.

In June 2015, an Indian yoga festival was held in Chengdu, and 20 yoga masters from India held classes for local yoga enthusiasts.

Meanwhile India has also decided to open a consulate general in Chengdu.

Building relations with Chiang Mai

Meanwhile, Chiang Mai, known as the political, economic, and cultural center of northern Thailand, is also bolstering relations with Chengdu in various aspects — especially as this year marks the 40th anniversary of Thailand and China establishing diplomatic relations.

Since May 2006, when the Thai consulate office in Chengdu was upgraded to Consulate General of Thailand, Chiang Mai and Chengdu have seen more collaboration in areas like construction, education, culture, tourism, and commerce.

Chengdu University, one of the city’s 53 universities, has established friendly relations with Thailand’s Prince of Songkla University, Mahidol University, Chulalongkorn University, Ramkhamhaeng University, Chiang Mai University, Suan Dusit Rajabhat University and several other colleges.

In 2010, a Thai language and cultural center sponsored by the Thai government and established by Chiang Mai University was set up in Chengdu University. It’s one of only 10 such centers in the world. In 2011, Thai Princess Sirindhorn cut the ribbon to open the Sirindhorn Thai Language and Culture Classroom and was named as an honorary professor.

Both Chengdu and Chiang Mai have a taste for fine arts. In each of the past seven years, artists from Thailand took part in Chengdu’s international music festival held especially for the youth.

In July 2013, people were left deeply impressed by a 10-year-old dancer nicknamed “Little Pearl” who staged a dance featuring knives. She came with Adisorn Kumnurdsiri, deputy mayor of Chiang Mai and leader of the artistic delegation.

In July 2014, a group of teen artists from Chiang Mai performed a Thai dance and music performance in Chengdu. One program featuring the group playing Thai instruments and performing the Chinese folk song “Small Town Story.” It turned out to be a huge hit and was taken as a symbol of the deepening friendship between Chengdu and Chiang Mai.

By December of 2014, Thailand had invested in 23 projects in Chengdu worth a combined US$66.96 million.

In 2012, Thai Central Matheson Group (CENTRAL) introduced its flagship shopping mall into Chengdu, which has thus far recorded decent revenue growth. Thai restaurants such as Thai Shark Fin and Banana Leaf are also very popular in Chengdu.

The Thai Consulate General in Chengdu has also hosted a cultural event called “Thai Week in Chengdu” to enrich bilateral communications. The event has been seven consecutive years and has been warmly welcomed and supported by various Thai government departments. Thai products have become popular choices among Chengdu residents.

In 2013, the Chiang Mai Chamber of Commerce and Chengdu Federation of Commerce and Industry signed an agreement to bolster cooperation. Chengdu’s increasingly mature infrastructure and investment environment are expected to attract more Thai companies to invest in the city.

Chiang Mai is a city famous for its nice weather, beautiful scenery and numerous cultural monuments. As a counterpart, Chengdu is a city full of heritage and tourist attractions. In 2014, 47,600 people from Thailand visited Chengdu. Air Asia hopes to open a direct flight between Chengdu and Chiang Mai.