Zigui County and Yeongwol County, South Korea

In 2019, Zigui County in Yichang and Yeongwol County in South Korea officially established a sister city relationship.

Zigui County, located at the west end of the Xiling Gorge, is the hometown of Qu Yuan (c.340 BC - 278 BC), China’s much-admired patriotic poet of the State of Chu in the Warring States Period (c. 475 BC - 221 BC). It was said that Qu’s sister came back to the area to console him before he was exiled. In memory of this affectionate sister, the city was later called “Zigui”, meaning “returning sister” in Chinese.

Yeongwol County is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. With an area of 1,127 square kilometers and a population of 40,000, it is a mountainous county dominated by agriculture. It is well known as the place to which King Danjong, the sixth king of the Joseon Dynasty, was exiled.

Yeongwol County has many popular attractions, including Cheongnyeongpo Cape, Beopheungsa Temple and Jangneung, making it well worth a visit. Byeolmaro Observatory, Korea's largest astronomical observatory, is also in this area.

In March 2012, Professor Young-Joon Ahn from Seoul National University came to Zigui County to carry out research on the agro-processing industry. On Professor Ahn’s recommendation, Zigui County got in touch with the government of Yeongwol County. In June 2012, a government delegation from Yeongwol County visited Zigui County for a discussion on friendly cooperation.