Where is  

Selwyn District

Shandan Gansu Province North-West China

Shandan is a county of 220,000 people on the Silk Route, bordering Inner Mongolia and the Gobi Desert. It covers an area of 5402 square kilometres, and is the home of the historic Shandan military horse farm.

Selwyn’s links to Shandan are founded on the activities of Rewi Alley, born in Springfield, who became an iconic figure in China. Rewi is revered by the Chinese people for his work among the poor, and for establishing schools and cooperatives. Shandan Bailie School, which he established after an 1100 kilometre trek in the winter of 1944, is one of the schools where Rewi introduced the idea of “hands and minds together” as the basis for practical learning. The school aims to be self-sufficient with students undertaking part-time vocational learning and work. The notion of Gung Ho, working together in harmony, remains important in local culture.

In autumn 2020 the new Shandan Vocational School opened on a large new site with specially designed buildings.

Rewi introduced Corriedale sheep from North Canterbury, and mutton remains an important part of the diet along with noodles. Shandan mutton is a national certification trademark and has strong market share in China.

The climate is too cold and dry to grow rice, with annual rainfall of just 188mm. Water management allows irrigated crops like wheat, barley, forage grass, potatoes and oil seed to grow. Other crops include edible fungi and goji berries (Lycium barbarum), which are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Rewi Alley collected many Chinese artefacts which he donated to museums including the Rewi Alley Museum in Shandan and Canterbury Museum. He facilitated the relationships between these two museums. A new Rewi Alley Museum in Shandan is under construction.

Our Sister City relationship

A Sister City agreement, formalising this longstanding relationship, was signed in 2009. This was renewed in 2019 to focus on areas of mutual value including exchanges, tourism, education, agriculture and water.

Ongoing activities between Selwyn and Shandan include regular reciprocal delegations, the annual Gansu Fellowship and a visiting English teacher programme in Shandan schools.

Selwyn hosts Shandan interpreters studying English at ARA Institute in Christchurch. It also works cooperatively with the Christchurch China Committee to host Gansu visitors, introducing them to agriculture, dairy production, water use, tourism and education in Selwyn.