Sister Cities

Richmond's Sister City Program

The Sister City Program fosters meaningful connections between Richmond residents and residents of other cities and cultures through projects and exchanges that:

• Collaborate with local community partners to support the program's goals
• Promote cultural integration and joint learning; and
• Engage the community in meaningful, participatory ways.

If you have an idea you want to propose to the Sister City Advisory Committee, email us at richmondsistercity@gmail.com.

Our Sister Cities

The City of Richmond has established important ties and relationships with three Cities as part of the Sister City Program:

Pierrefonds, Quebec, Canada

Population: 73,889 (2021)
Relationship Established: July 29, 1967
Pierrefonds Website
Sister City Agreement

Pierrefonds amalgamated as one of the boroughs of the new City of Montreal as Pierrefonds-Roxboro on Jan 1, 2002. It is located on the north west side of the island of Montreal.

Wakayama, Japan

Population: 350,409 (2022)
Relationship Established: July 16, 1973
Wakayama Website
Sister City Agreement

Wakayama prefecture is famous for its umeboshi (salty pickled plums) and mikan (mandarin oranges).

Xiamen, China

Population: 5,163,970 (2020) 
Relationship Established: April 27, 2012
Xiamen Website
Sister City Agreement - English
Sister City Agreement - Chinese

With its clear waters and long, wide, sandy beaches as well as stable winds, Xiamen is one of the major hot spots for Kite Surfing in China.

In addition, Richmond signed a Friendship City Agreement with Qingdao:

Qingdao, China

Our "Olympic Twin" friendship city.
Population: 10,256,700 (2021)
Relationship Established: April 22, 2008
Friendship City Agreement - English
Friendship City Agreement - Chinese

Due to its temperate climate, Qingdao is one of the few cities in northern China where surfing is possible. The best surfing season coincides with typhoon season (June to October).

Sister City Advisory Committee

The Sister City Program is coordinated by the Sister City Advisory Committee. The Committee has 15 members that includes: 13 volunteer citizens appointed by Council; one representative of City Council; and one representative of the School District appointed by the School Board.

Become a Committee Member

Vacancies on the Sister Committee are advertised on the Advisory Bodies page. Applications are reviewed by City staff and a list of applicants is presented to Council for its consideration. Council appoints the successful applicants to the Committee. See our Sister City Terms of Reference and Program Objectives for details.

Annual Activity Reports

Annual activity reports provide a summary of the Sister City activities.

2023	2022	2021
2020	2019	2018

Contact Information

For more information, please email: richmondsistercity@gmail.com