Lyon is the capital of Rhone-Alps district of France. It is the second largest city in France and also one of the most important industrial and commercial centers.

Lyon is located in southeast of France, which Rhone and Saône rivers go across. It plays an important role of the portage point for France as well as the cross connecting Europe of all time. The climate is warm all year round. The rain is plentiful and the yearly total duration of bright sunlight is up to 2,010 hours. The yearly average temperature is 11.3 degree centigrade. Lyon is consisted of 9 districts, 2.5 kilometers from east and west, 3 kilometers from south and north. The area is 45.75 square kilometers, and the population is 42,225,000.

The weaving, mechanical production, electronics, chemistry, and medicine industries are well developed. Moreover, Lyon is the renowned banks and financial center in the history of Europe. Lyon has an abundance of tourism resources and it has been praised for “the Capital of Cuisine”.
On 19th January, 1988, Guangzhou and Lyon build up a relationship of Sister Cities.  

【Development History】

In January 1988, Guangzhou and Lyon signed the agreement of sister cities.

In August 1994, Nowar, mayor of Lyon, as the leader of a delegation visited Guangzhou.

In October 1997, the former president of France, mayor of Lyon, Rémon Bar visited Guangzhou with an official delegation and a commercial delegation.

In the year of 1998,
From January to November, a camera crew went to nine sister cities including Lyon to make documentary programs, which is a part of the series activities of Sister Cities Sisterhood.

In June, the delegation of football of Guanghzou played a visit in Lyon.

In the year of 1999
In June, a series activities of Sister Cities and Sister Love were held in Guangzhou, Miss Lyon 1996 participated in the activity.
In June, Mr. Dai Guoqiang, vice chairman of Guangzhou People’s Congress, as the leader of a delegation, visited Lyon and attended the 23rd  annual meeting of World Urban Development Association.

In the year of 2000
In August, the delegation of Guangzhou Library visited Lyon and met with the library of Lyon.
In December, the delegation of Labor Union visited Lyon and attended the International Forum of Communities of Lyon. 

In the year of 2001
In May, Mr. Lin Shusen, mayor of Guangzhou visited Lyon as the leader of an official delegation. Both sides came to an agreement which lays great emphasis on culture, education and commerce for the exchanges between Guangzhou and Lyon.
In November, Mr. Gérard Colonne, mayor of Lyon visited Guangzhou. He and the mayor of Guangzhou Lin Shusen, signed the Memorandum for enhancing  Exchange and Cooperation between Guangzhou and Lyon.

In the year of 2002
In January, vice mayor of Lyon, Begum visited Guangzhou as the leader of a cultural delegation and inspected the cultural infrastructures and the arts groups of Guangzhou.
In March, Mr. Su Zequn, vice mayor visited Lyon as the leader of an official delegation and an art performing mission. They inspected the cultural infrastructures and paid performances in the Musical College of Lyon.

In the year of 2003
In July, the cultural delegation of Guangzhou visited Lyon, inspected Lyon’s cultural infrastructures and carried out a Guangzhou’s project of the Sino-French Culture Year.
From 25th to 31st October, Guangzhou held a series activities of Culture Week in Lyon to cooperate with Guangzhou "cultural week" program, including photo-exhibition named Pearl River and Sane River, Guangzhou tour promoting meeting, trade investment promoting meeting, painters’ exhibition from 3-generation 8-female of Su’s family, Liwan manner exhibition as well as fireworks show etc. Mr. Zhang Guangning, Mayor of Guangzhou, as a leader of Guangzhou municipal government delegation, attended this series of activities. There were 13 communities about 320 people taking part in it, among which, there were 100 or so Guangzhou citizens.

2004年
In the year of 2004
From 21th to 24th July, Victoria, president of the union employers of metallurgy of Rhone, Lyon, visited Guangzhou with his two collegues signed a project of cooperation and exchange with Federation of Trade Unions of Guangzhou. On the morning of 23rd ,Luo Jiaxiang, vice secretary-general of Guangzhou municipal government, welcomed them in the city hall.

On the evening of 4th May, 2005, Mr. Li Liangzhou, vice-councilor of Guangzhou Foreign Affaires Office and secretary-general of  Guangzhou Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, signed with President Jean Victoria of Chinese Association in Lyon, 《The Memorandum of the establishment of Friendly Relations between Guangzhou Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and Chinese Association in Lyon, France》.

From 7th to 9th June 2005, madam Noelle and her two colleagues from Lyon municipal government visited Guangzhou participating in the Sino-French Culture Year, Lyon Culture Week and put the preparation for the performance of ballet, France Contemporary Art Exhibition、the Retrospective of universities in China and in France into effect.

From 10th to 12th June 2005, in order to hold the Sino-French Culture Year, Lyon Culture Week, Mr. Gerard Colonne, mayor of Lyon, visited Guangzhou as the leader of a delegation of 120 persons. There are seven activities held in Guangzhou, including France Contemporary Art Exhibition, Promotion for Lyon economic and trade, the kick-off ceremony and the ballet drama Carmen, Retrospective of universities in China and in France, friendly exchanges between the district LiWan District and the 7th district of Lyon, Eric Dessane’s photo exhibition, ceremony of gifts presenting between sister cities. Mr. Zhang Guangning, mayor of Guangzhou, and the other related leaders attended some activities. The series activities have promoted exchanges and cooperation in fields of cultural, commercial and sports, enhanced the friendship and understanding of the people of both countries, and developed the friendly relations between Guangzhou and Lyon.

From 11th to 13th October 2005, Mr. Li Weijie, director general of Bureau Civil Affaires of Guangzhou Municipality, visited Lyon as the leader of a delegation of five persons. They inspected the works of social welfare and visited the homes for the aged. On the morning of 11th, Mr. Jean Louis Durane, the executive vice mayor of Lyon received the delegation .

From May 3rd to 5th, chairman of China Community from Lyon and consultant of Lyon Mayor Anchel led a delegation of Lyon’s citizens to visit Guangzhou. In the evening of May 4th, Mr. Li Liangzhou, deputy counsel of Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Office as well as secretary-general of Guangzhou Friendship Association, held a warm reception for them. He also signed the memo of establishing friendly relationship between Guangzhou and Lyon.

From 14th and 18th May, 2006, Ms. Wang Xiaoling, Vice Mayor of Guangzhou, headed the government delegation to visit France and to attend the second Forum of global cities held in Lyon. In the morning of 18th, Mr Colonne, Mayor of Lyon, met with Guangzhou delegation. They held a good communication about mutual visits, biotechnology, football as well as sunshine etc. Ms. Wang also participated Mayors’ Summit. She communicated with many other international cities’ Mayors on the experience of sustainable development. Ms. Wang delivered a speech on transferring the mode of social economic development in order to promote the whole society’s sustainable development.

During May 14th and 19th, as one of the series on 20 anniversary of Guangzhou-Lyon’s friendship, Ivy drama troupe from Lyon, visited Guangzhou and played a wonderful show of A Clown’s Trip to China.