Sister Cities International Bridge

The Sister Cities International Bridge was built and dedicated in 2000 to honor the relationships between Kansas City and its partnering cities. Sister Cities International is a program developed by President Eisenhower in 1956 to promote peace and understanding of different cultures through mutual respect and relationships. The local affiliation started in 1967 when Seville, Spain was named Kansas City’s first Sister City, and eleven other cities have been added since that time. The bridge is lined with a flag and a corresponding plaque for each of Kansas City's twelve Sister Cities in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The entrance is guarded by two six-foot Chinese Warriors, a gift from Sister City Xi’an, China.

The Sister Cities International Bridge is a pedestrian bridge connecting the split streets of Ward Parkway over Brush Creek. This location was originally home to a footbridge that had been damaged in the Plaza flood of 1977 and later removed. Country flags line the bridge which represents each of Kansas City’s Sister Cities. Guarding the entrance to the bridge are two six-foot Chinese warrior statues. These bronze statues are replicas of the original terracotta warriors that were gifted from Xi’an, China, a Sister City established in 1989, for the commemoration of the bridge at the 2000 ceremony.

Sister Cities International is a non-profit organization created in 1956 by President Eisenhower during a conference on civil diplomacy. Eisenhower envisioned a network of people-to-people relationships and partnered with civic leaders around the world to help build the solid structure for global peace, lowering the chance for new conflicts. SCI believes that in promoting peace through mutual respect, understanding, and cooperation we can learn to appreciate one another's differences and build partnerships. To fulfill their mission, they engage in community development through arts, culture, business, trade, and education. 

Kansas City Sister Cities is the local affiliate created in 1967. The same year Seville, Spain was named Kansas City’s first Sister City. In addition to being a key inspiration in the design for the Country Club Plaza, Kansas City and Seville shared many similarities in social, economical, and cultural interests. They maintained a cultural and commercial relationship for twenty years but as time passed, the relationship dwindled. Kansas City was the only US city invited to Expo ‘92 World's Fair hosted by Seville, which reestablished some of their connection, including a gift from Kansas City of The Explorer statue. Kansas City currently has twelve Sister Cities while there are over 2000 partnerships in more than 140 countries in the international association. 

The following are Kansas City’s twelve Sister Cities and the corresponding year that each relationship was officially recognized. 

• Seville, Spain 1967
• Kurashiki, Japan 1972
• Morelia, Mexico 1973
• Freetown, Sierra Leone 1974 
• Tainan, Taiwan 1978
• Xi’an, China 1989
• Guadalajara, México 1991
• Hannover, Germany 1993 
• Port Harcourt, Nigeria 1993
• Arusha, Tanzania 1995
• Ramla, Israel 1998 
• Yan’an, China 2017

Kansas City Sister Cities Association. Accessed November 23rd 2021. https://www.kcsistercities.org/.

Our Mission, Sister Cities International. Accessed November 23rd 2021. https://sistercities.org/about-us/.

Sevilla y Kansas City, Sister Cities, Hotel Europa. August 6th 2017. Accessed November 23rd 2021. https://www.hoteleuropasevilla.com/en/sevilla-y-kansas-city-ciudades-hermanas-1.

Chinese Warriors, Kansas City Parks and Recreation. Accessed November 23rd 2021. https://kcparks.org/places/chinesewarriors/.