Sister Cities
Sister cities of Colorado Springs include:
- Fujiyoshida, Japan (1962)
- Kaohsiung, Taiwan (1983)
- Smolensk, Russia (1993)
- Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (1994)
- Nuevo Casas Grandes, Mexico (1996)
- Bankstown, Australia (1999)
- Palmas, Brazil (2002).
Colorado Springs' sister city organization began when Colorado Springs became partners with Fujiyoshida. The torii gate erected to commemorate the relationship stands at the corner of Bijou Street and Nevada Avenue, and is one of the city's most recognizable landmarks. The torii gate, crisscrossed bridge and shrine, located in the median between Platte and Bijou Streets in downtown Colorado Springs, were a gift to Colorado Springs, erected in 1966 by the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs to celebrate the friendship between the two communities. A plaque near the torii gate states that "the purpose of the sister city relationship is to promote understanding between the people of our two countries and cities". The Fujiyoshida Student exchange program has become an annual event.
To strengthen relations between the two cities, the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony regularly invites the Taiko drummers from the city to participate in a joint concert in the Pikes Peak Center. The orchestra played in Bankstown, Australia, in 2002 and again in June 2006 as part of their tours to Australia and New Zealand.
Also, in 2006 and 2010, the Bankstown TAP (Talent Advancement Program), performed with the Youth Symphony, and the Colorado Springs Children's Chorale, as a part of the annual In Harmony program.
A notable similarity between Colorado Springs and its sister cities are their geographic positions, three of the seven cities being located near the base of a major mountain or range.
Read more about this topic: Colorado Springs, Colorado
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