Yangzhou City in Jiangsu Province marked the 40th anniversary of its sister-city relationship with cities in Japan on October 21.

The celebration was held along with a series of economic, trade and cultural exchanges.

Yangzhou has a long history of friendly relations with Japan. In the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Buddhist monk Jianzhen, born in Yangzhou, tried to visit Japan on six occasions and finally reached the country to promote Buddhism. In commemoration of Jianzhen, Yangzhou has built a memorial hall, a library and a Buddhist school.

The Yangzhou Jianzhen International Half Marathon is also an IAAF Gold Label Road Race. Over the years, Yangzhou has also entered into sister-city partnership with Japanese cities of Karatsu, Atsugi and Nara.