Jiujiang, China

Jiujiang, located in China’s Jiangxi Province, has been one of Louisville’s sister cities since 2004. Before this, the Jiangxi Province and Commonwealth of Kentucky were sister states. Currently, Jiujiang is Louisville’s only sister city in Asia proper. Like Louisville, Jiujiang is located on a river, the Yangtze, and is historically significant in its country’s trading and transportation history.

  • Metro Area: 983,000 (2023)

    Located in the Jiangxi Province

  • Its position on the Yangtze River made it a great water port in ancient times

    The city cycled through various names throughout the various Chinese Dynasties, finally receiving the name Jiujiang from the Ming Dynasty

  • Name literally means “nine rivers” due to its geographic location at the convergence of nine rivers

    Jiujiang and Louisville share La Plata as a sister city

  • Jiujiang Tea Cookie: dates back to the Song Dynasty, made from tea oil, native flour, semen sesame negrum, and osmantus

    Three Stones: a dish of stone chicken, stone fish, and fungus

    Jiujiang Fish banquet: different kinds of fish are important in Jiujiang cuisine

  • Mount Lu: an UNESCO world heritage site, one of the most famous mountains in China

    Haiyun Sand Beach: a man-made beach in Jiujiang

    Poyang Lake: the largest freshwater lake in China, nicknamed “the second Great Wall of China”

    Nengren Temple: buddhist temple build in the 6th century CE

    Donglin Temple: the birthplace of Chinese Pureland Buddhism built in the 4th century CE

    Wave Well: one of Jiuijang’s most ancient relics, a well that had waves as the Yangtze did, the reason behind why it did is still disputed today

    Bailu Academy: one of the four most famous academies in China

  • Lantern Festival: celebrated on the full moon in the first month of the lunar year, celebrates the end of Chinese New Year celebrations, involves going out with lanterns and solving riddles on them

    Dragon Boat Festival: celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, celebrated by dragon boat races in memory of the poet Qu Yuan

  • In 2020, Jiujiang donated over 20,000 Personal Protection Equipment to Louisville’s Park DuValle Senior Center including masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer to help combat COVID-19. This occurred on May 12, 2020 just before lockdown began.

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