--Celebrations for the 20th anniversary of friendship between Guangzhou and Frankfurt

A series of activities to celebrate the 20th anniversary of friendship between Guangzhou and Frankfurt is to be unveiled this April. With a theme of "Frankfurt am Pearl River", the event will draw the two cities of culture and commerce closer together.

The celebration was scheduled as early as 2007. Lead by the prolocutor of Frankfurt Mr. Karlheinz Bührmann, a delegation from this German city paid a friendship visit to Guangzhou in May 2007, and in August, mayor of Frankfurt Ms. Petra Roth came for further discussions about the event. The Frankfurt am Pearl River and Guangzhou am Main, is set to be launched respectively in April and Autumn this year to promote friendship between the two cities.

Mayor of Frankfurt Ms. Petra Roth is to fly to Guangzhou with her government delegation to take part in relevant activities and promote Frankfurt, a city of culture, economy and Goethe.

A precious gift – a sculpture of the head of Goethe has been sent to Guangzhou by the city of Frankfurt, for which an unveiling ceremony will be take place joined by the Mayors of these two sister cities. The sculpture will be placed in the Frankfurt Rose Garden inside Liu Hua Hu Park. The Rose Garden was another gift sent by Frankfurt to mark the two sister cities in 1997.

Frankfurt is to stage an official opening ceremony on 8th of April 2008.