20 Pictures from San Antonio's Sister Cities

By San Antonio Current Staff

        
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San Antonio's nine sister cities are scattered across three continents and separated by tens of thousands of miles. So while it's tough to travel to all of them, click through this slideshow for a little taste of what each one has to offer.

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Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Guadalajara Cathedral
Originally built in 1541, this is actually the third version of the cathedral, after a fire in 1574 and several earthquakes in the 1800s severely damaged its structure.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Teatro Degollado
Opened in 1866, the Teatro Degollado is located on Guadalajara's main plaza. The theatre seats 1,015 spectators.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons (Armando Aguayo Rivera)

Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
This giant fountain in Wuxi depicts Buddha as an infant. The city also contains one of the tallest Buddha statues in China.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
Wuxi sits along the Yangtze River, the longest river in Asia. It's known for being hot and humid in the summer and receives nearly 40 inches of rain per year.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons (Thomas Depenbusch)

Gwangju, South Korea
The ancient city of Gwangju was founded in 52 B.C. Located near the country's southern tip, it's now home to over 1.5 million people.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
The co-capital of the Canary Islands is also the area's largest. And it's an integral part of our city's roots: Some of San Antonio's first colonists came from the Canary Islands.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Spain
Although it's home to over a million people, Las Palmas is surrounded by natural beauty and distinct geographic features. The nearby Bandama Caldera is an ancient volcanic crater within an 1,800-foot-high mountain.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons (Matti Mattila)

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China
Rubber Duck
Kaohsiung is a major port, so it makes sense that it would have an aquatic public art installation. Versions of Rubber Duck, by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, have bobbed across the world since 2007. The one in Kaohsiung arrived in September 2014, but popped later that year.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons (Jerry Lai)

Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China
Kaohsiung isn't just a haven for giant, rubber waterfowl though. It's a bustling trade and industry center of over 2.7 million people, and home to the Republic of China naval fleet.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Monterrey was San Antonio's first sister city, having struck an agreement in 1953. Tucked within the Sierra Madre Oriental Mountain range, the city is a vital industrial and business center, and is is known for Norteño music.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons (Rick Gonzalez)

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Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Many families from Monterrey make their full- or part-time homes in San Antonio. Parts of the Stone Oak and Sonterra neighborhoods have earned the nickname "Little Monterrey."

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons (Rick Gonzalez)

Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Cerro de las Mitras
Cerro de las Mitras is a Monterrey landmark. It's popular among hikers, and offers incredible views of the city below.

Via Wikimedia Commons

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Carnival de Santa Cruz de Tenerife
This is the other capital of the Canary Islands. The carnival at Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the world's second most popular. The carnival occurs each February, and attracts visitors from across the globe.

Photo via Flickr Creative Commons (Philippe Teuwen)

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Auditorio de Tenerife
The opera house at Santa Cruz de Tenerife opened in 2003. Since then, it's been hailed as one of the island's — and Spain's — foremost architectural achievements. President Bill Clinton visited it in 2005, the first time a former U.S. president had visited the Canary Islands.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
Castillo de San Juan Bautista
Also known as Castillo Negro, the old fort sits behind the opera house. It was built in 1641, and served a principal role in defending the island from British Admiral Horatio Nelson in 1797.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Madras High Court
Built in 1892, the court is the highest judicial authority in the state of Tamil Nadu. It was damaged in 1914 during a World War I attack on the city by German forces.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
National Art Gallery
The gallery was built in 1906, but has been closed since 2002 due to structural damage. Several proposals to repair it have been floated, though none have gained significant traction.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Southern Railway Headquarters
India's railways are split into 16 divisions, the southern-most of which is headquartered in Chennai. It's a hub for over 4,200 miles of railway in the region.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Kumamoto, Japan
Located on Kyushu island, the southern-most island in the Japan chain, Kumamoto's most famous landmark is Kumamoto Castle. The castle sits on a hilltop, and dates back to the 15th century.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Kumamoto, Japan
Kumamon
Nightmare fuel or cute and cuddly character? Whichever, Kumamon is the official mascot of Kumamoto Prefecture. The rosy-cheeked bear stars in movies to promote local industry and drum up tourism. Kumamon is also an honorary citizen of San Antonio.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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