Yiling Square and US-China friendship
2023-11-16 19:11:00
By Tan Maolin, Yichang International Communication Studio
Yiling Square is a city landmark in Yichang. It is also where the friendship between Yichang and the U.S. state of Oregon grows – right under your feet.
Yiling Square is the largest leisure green square in Yichang. In 1997, Yichang planted 32,000 square meters of a perennial cool-weather grass called tall fescue grass. The grass seeds came from Oregon.
Yiling Square is a city landmark in Yichang. It is also where the friendship between Yichang and the U.S. state of Oregon grows – right under your feet.
Yiling Square is the largest leisure green square in Yichang. In 1997, Yichang planted 32,000 square meters of a perennial cool-weather grass called tall fescue grass. The grass seeds came from Oregon.
Yiling Square in the 1990s.
With round-the-clock care and careful attention to the heat intolerance of tall fescue, Yichang was able to cultivate its first large-scale year-round green lawn, attracting a steady stream of visitors. Every morning and evening, nearby residents meet here to exercise, sing and dance.
Photo by Wu Hao.
John Kitzhaber, the then-governor of Oregon State, delegated John Miller to visit Yichang and work with Yichang representatives on grass planting experiments in March 1998. Subsequently, experts from Oregon made several trips to Yichang to check on the growth of the grass seeds.
The two parties signed an agreement to strengthen forestry cooperation and founded a joint venture company. A total of 45,000 seedlings of 21 varieties and 1,000 kilograms of American ryegrass seeds from Oregon were planted in Yichang.
A delegation from Washington County visited Yichang in May 2004. Cooperation has gradually expanded from economic and trade exchanges to cover culture, training, the arts and youth exchanges.
The two parties signed an agreement to strengthen forestry cooperation and founded a joint venture company. A total of 45,000 seedlings of 21 varieties and 1,000 kilograms of American ryegrass seeds from Oregon were planted in Yichang.
A delegation from Washington County visited Yichang in May 2004. Cooperation has gradually expanded from economic and trade exchanges to cover culture, training, the arts and youth exchanges.
In August 2006, Yichang and Washington County in Oregon state signed a friendly city relationship.
