Since the formation of Sister Cities International in 1956, cities across the world have formed diplomatic partnerships, becoming “sister cities” with each other.
The concept of sister cities is simple: two cities, usually in different countries, form an agreement to promote cultural and economic exchanges, promoting cultural growth and economic diversification.
Jacksonville has amassed eight international sister cities since taking on its first partnership in 1967. Most of those cities have something major in common with Jax, such as being a port city or being located near a coast. Jacksonville Sister Cities Association, a local nonprofit, manages these partnerships and coordinates activities between Jax and its sister cities.
We’ve created brief profiles for those eight sister cities to better acquaint Jax residents with each of them. (Honorable mentions also go out to Ningbo, Shaoxing, and Suzhou in China, which are not formally part of the sister city program but are considered “friendship cities.”)
Yingkou, China, became Jacksonville’s fifth sister city in May 1990.
Located along the Dalaio River in the Liaoning province of China, Yingkou is home to Port of Yingkou, one of the world’s busiest ports.
The city was founded around its port in the 1800s and has grown to a population of 848,000; its metropolitan area features a population of 2.4 million.
Yingkou only has one other sister city: Tyer, Russia. The Port of Yingkou also has a “sister port”: Hamilton Port Authority in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
