Aerial view of Wuppertal, Germany. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Guangzhou and Wuppertal, Germany signed a memorandum to strengthen communication and cooperation on Aug 18 online, making Wuppertal a new friendly city of Guangzhou.

Wuppertal, located in north Rhine-Westphalia Land of northwestern Germany, is the hometown of Friedrich Engels, who is a German socialist philosopher who closely collaborated with Karl Marx in founding modern communism.

Wuppertal was a hotspot in the German textile industry, producing weaving materials including silk, velvet, linen, man-made fibers, carpets and tapestries. The textile industry was the economic foundation of the city till the 1970s.

China donated a bronze statue of Engels in 2014, which can be seen at the Engels residence. Built by Zeng Chenggang, a famous Chinese artist, the statue has been a popular tourist attraction in the area.

The bronze statue of Engels at the Engels residence, which was donated by China in 2014. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Wuppertal has established a close relationship with China in recent years. The city has set up the China Competence Center in 2012 to boost bilateral economic cooperation and communication with China. 

Friendly cooperation between Wuppertal and Guangzhou has already taken shape as HBK Essen, a private university of art and design, has launched a joint cultivation project with Guangdong University of Finance to promote friendly cultural education, communication and cooperation between the two cities.

HBK Essen has also planned to carry out cooperation with Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University in areas spanning industrial design, digital media and anime games to cultivate more high-caliber talents.