Students from China and ROK in a football match at Middle School No.1, Nanyang, on Aug 18. [Photo/Nanyang Daily]

The city of Nanyang, Henan province received visitors from its sister city of Chuncheon, northeast of Seoul, ROK, to increase communications by letting junior school students from the two countries engage in a friendly sport match.

The vice-mayor of Chuncheon, Lee Uk-jae, led a group of 42 people in the visit to Nanyang for the first sports cultural exchange program between the two cities, Aug 17 - 21.

There was an opening ceremony for the event at the Nanyang Sports Center, where the vice-mayor expressed his best wishes for the school kids and told them to play with passion and good character in their ping-pong, badminton and football matches, to promote cooperation and friendship. In response, the middle school students showed their vigor and vitality in the matches.

The two cities established the sister city ties in September 2012, because of Nanyang's famous jade business, and signed a cooperation agreement to increase communications in tourism and sports this April, and agreed to take turns in organizing cultural exchanges for junior school students every year.

Students from Chuncheon in a ping-pong match at Nanyang Sports Center on Aug 18. [Photo/Nanyang Daily]