Highlights of the
- Oct. 2002 Dan Nip led a business delegation to participate the 4th China High Tec Fair in Shenzhen.
- Aug. 2002 organization president Dan Nip and HSPVA principal led a 12 student group travel to Shenzhen to participate a one week summer program with youths from 17 countries, the "Voyage Towards Friendship" which is sponsored by the Shenzhen Youth Federation.
- May 2002 Invited by the Mayor of Shenzhen and the Shenzhen University, association president Dan Nip accompanied Rice University provost Dr. Eugene Levy visited Beijing U, Tsing Hua U, Beijing Medical U and Shenzhen U and Hong Kong Science and Technology University to discuss cooperation opportunities. Rice U and Shenzhen signed a training agreement for their senior municipal employees.
- Oct. 2001 Organization president Dan Nip led a 5 company delegation to participate in the 3rd China High Tech Fair in Shenzhen.
- Jun 2001 Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr. Yu Youjun led a delegation visited Houston. Mayor Lee Brown and some city dignitaries hosted a welcome dinner for the mayor. While in Houston, Mayor Yu visited Rice University, NASA and other points of interest. Mayor Yu invited Rice University officials to visit Shenzhen University.
- Nov. 2000 The Shenzhen sister city association welcomed two delegations. The first delegation, from the Shenzhen Eye Hospital, was in Houston Oct. 26 to Nov. 6 visiting the Eye Institute at Baylor Medical College and the Eye Hospital at Hermann Hospital. They are looking into establishing a "sister hospital" agreement. The second delegation from the China Hi Tech Fair was in Houston Nov. 17-19 to meet with hi-tech company representatives. The association hosted a dinner in their honor.
- October 2000 President Dan Nip and a 30 plus delegation of the Shenzhen sister city association traveled to Shenzhen in October for both the Shen-blue sculpture unveiling ceremony and the Chinaa High-Tech fair. The Shen-blue sculpture was a gift from the people of Houston to the people of Shenzhen, and the local sister city association raised over $300,000.00 to pay for the sculpture and its shipment to Shenzhen. In this trip, HSPVA principal Mr. Herb Karpicke signed a "Sister School Agreement" with the Shenzhen Art School to do exchange programs in the future.
- June 2000 An 80-member delegation from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA) traveled to Shenzhen and two other Chinese cities to perform and tour China. Don Kobos from Channel 13 accompanied the group and prepared a documentary of the trip to broadcast on the 6:00 p.m. news. The deputy mayor of Shenzhen, Mr. Guo Rongjun, visited Houston for business meetings and met with Council Member Boney. In this trip, Deputy Mayor Guo signed a "Cooperation Memorandum" with Texas Medical Center. The sister city association also continued fundraising for the Shen Blue sculpture project that has been on display in downtown Houston since May 2000.
- June 1999 The association sponsored and hosted a youth basketball team from Shenzhen to attend a month long basketball camp at Rice University.
- October 1998 By invitation of the Shenzhen City Govermnent, the Houston-Shenzhen Sister City Association led a delegation that included Council Members Felix Fraga and Annise Parker to Shenzhen and other Chinese cities.
- August 1998 Mayor Lee P. Brown and Sister City Association president Dan Nip were named an honorary citizen of Shenzhen, an award that Shenzhen only presents to a select group of people.
- June 9, 1998 The Houston-Shenzhen Sister City Association held a press conference to announce the "Houston Select All-Star China Tour 1998," August 11-14, featuring a team of 10 NCAA Division 1 Men's Basketball players, including 3 Rice Owls. The team, led by President Dan Nip and Vice-President Sandy Phan, traveled to China to play basketball games in Shenzhen and several other Chinese cities. Willis Wilson, head men's basketball coach at Rice University also traveled to Shenzhen as did a small business delegation.
- May 1998 The City of Shenzhen included a letter from Mayor Brown to the citizens of Shenzhen and information on Houston in their sister city photo album.
- March 1998 The HSSCA contributed artwork from students at the Hua Xia Chinese School for the Sister Cities of Houston Program for Young Artists.
- April 16-19, 1997 Executive Vice Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr. Li Decheng, and a delegation of Chinese officials, businessmen, and the youth soccer team, visited Houston to participate in the Houston International Festival. They met with Council Members Saenz and Kelley. The Houston-Shenzhen Sister City Association coordinated a soccer match between Shenzhen and Houston soccer teams and participated in a reception and photo exhibition "The Success of Shenzhen" as part of the festival.
- Locally, the HSSCA adopted the Port of Houston Elementary School and participated in the Children's International Festival.
- April 1996 The HSSCA adopted the Port of Houston Elementary School and participated in the Children's International Festival.
- October 27-29, 1995 Deputy Mayor of Shenzhen, Mr. Wang, visited Houston and attended the Consular Ball honoring China. He was seated with Mayor Lanier.
- October 18-29, 1995 Mr. Guoming Ren, Deputy Division Chief, Department of Foreign Affairs, Shenzhen, was in Houston to advance visits of Mr. Wang in October and Mayor Li Zibin in November, and to attend the Consular Ball honoring China.
- July 20-23, 1995 The Houston Ballet performed in Shenzhen during their tour of China. Sonia Garza and Nancy Hawes (Asia Society) did a protocol/cultural briefing for the ballet.
- April 1995 The HSSCA adopted the Port of Houston Elementary School and participated in the Children's International Parade.
- March 23-25, 1995 Vice Mayor of Shenzhen, Zhang Hong Yi, was in Houston for groundbreaking of the Chinese Gateway into Chinatown. Mayor and Mrs. Lanier, and Council Members Saenz, Wong, Reyes, Fraga, and Driscoll attended the groundbreaking.
- June 26-July 1, 1994 A Houston delegation, including Mr. James Chou, President of the Houston-Shenzhen Sister City Association; Mr. Dan Nip, also of the sister city association; the football teams of Strake Jesuit and Episcopal High Schools; and Ms. Helen Chang, Mayor's Office, visited Shenzhen to attend the annual Lychee Festival and participate in an exhibition game of American football. Over 35,000 spectators and 1,000,000 television viewers in China watched the game.
- June 28-30, 1994 A Shenzhen media delegation visited Houston to learn about Houston's waste management and education.
- April 1994 The HSSCA adopted the Port of Houston Elementary School and participated in the Children's International Parade.
- October 13-15, 1993 A Shenzhen media delegation visited Houston to learn how our media functions.
- February 1991 Mayor Sheng Liangyu of Shenzhen led a delegation to Houston on an economic and goodwill visit.
- October 1989 Shenzhen Mayor Li Hao and a delegation traveled to Houston to attend the signing ceremony establishing a sister city relationship between Houston and Shenzhen. Mayor Whitmire signed the agreement.
- August 1985 Bill Bownds Nursery donated a pecan tree to be planted in Shenzhen.
- June 1985 Shenzhen's Deputy Mayor, Zhen Xi Pei, visited Houston. A preliminary agreement of a sister city relationship was established.
- November 1984 Ms. Barbara Goldfield, Director of Protocol and International Business Development for the City of Houston, traveled to Shenzhen to initiate a sister city relationship.