Annyeonghaseyo, SATX. You may have remembered our story on San Antonio’s sister city Monterrey, Mexico.
Today, we want to share our deep connection to another city across the globe — Gwangju, South Korea. Here’s a quick recap. Gwangju is considered to be one of San Antonio’s 12 sister cities .
According to Sister Cities International , “A sister city is a broad-based, long-term partnership between two communities in two countries.”
Both cities began to establish a relationship in 1981 (see document ) with the goal of engaging citizens to build global community partnerships + promote volunteer action.
More in common than you think…
You might say “what could we possibly have in common with a city 7,082 miles away?”
Well, Gwangju serves as the capital city of the Chollanam-do Province and acts as a governmental, cultural, and artistic center with important ties to auto manufacturing + information technology — hmmm, sounds familiar? (Hint: read this )
The city also hosts the Biennale Arts Festival that has attracted visitors from all parts of the world — sounds like a Fiesta to us.
Originally set for this year, the 14th edition of the festival was postponed and will take place a year from now on April 7-July 9 (field trip, anyone?).
A bit of Gwangju in San Antonio…
In 2010, the City of Gwangju presented San Antonio with the Korean Pagoda that currently resides in Denman Estate Park .
What better time than now to get a taste of authentic South Korean cuisine in San Antonio? Visit your local AAPI-owned restaurant, food truck, or market participating in the AAPI Heritage Month Restaurant Passport .
Let us know if you’d like to hear more about one of our other sister cities — perhaps Guadalajara, Mexico or Las Palmas, Canary Islands, Spain?