Representatives of Lincoln County and the Xiuzhou District in the Zhejiang Province of China signed a memorandum designating the county and the district as sister communities. Pictured are: (seated, l-r) Walker Norman, chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners; Yawei Zhu, governor of the Xiuzhou District; (standing) Kathy Oxford, international trade specialist with the Georgia Department of Economic Development; Alana Burke, executive director of the Lincoln County Development Authority; Shuilin Xu, chairman of the Zhejiang Hero Metal Furniture Shareholding Company; Hailong Qi, deputy governor of the People's Government of the Xiuzhou District; Zhiming Zhou, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Xiuzhou District; and Jinliang Song, chairman of the People's Political Consultant Conference of the Xiuzhou Committee. Representatives of Lincoln County and the Xiuzhou District in the Zhejiang Province of China signed a memorandum designating the county and the district as sister communities.

The ceremony took place Saturday, March 11, at a seminar on friendship and cultural exchange held at the Xiuzhou District Exhibition and Conference Center in Jiaxing City.

Walker Norman (l), chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, presented Yawei Zhu, governor of the Xiuzhou District of China, with a framed copy of a resolution passed by the commission designating the Xiuzhou District as Lincoln County's sister community. The resolution was printed in both English and Chinese. Both the English and the Chinese versions of the memorandum were signed by Yawei Zhu, governor of the Xiuzhou District, and Walker Norman, chairman of the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners.

Other Chinese dignitaries in attendance included Jinliang Song, chairman of the People's Political Consultant Conference of the Xiuzhou Committee; Zhiming Zhou, deputy director of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing City.

Hailong Qi, deputy governor of the People's Government of the Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing City; Xuegen Cao, director of the Administrative Office of the People's Government of the Xiuzhou District, Jiaxing City; and Shuilin Xu, chairman of the Zhejiang Hero Metal Furniture Shareholding Company.

Representing Lincoln County were Alana Burke, executive director of the Lincoln County Development Authority; Kathy Oxford, international trade specialist with the Georgia Department of Economic Development; Chris Faaborg, president of Top Grill Imports; and Zhiyun Jiang, the manager of Top Grill Imports' China office.

Following the signing ceremony, the group boarded a bus and traveled to Xiuzhou Park where they planted camphor and beech "friendship trees." A memorial tablet, inscribed in both English and Chinese, was erected to commemorate the occasion.

In her comments, Burke said she expects great things from Lincoln County's sister relationship with the Xiuzhou District. "Exchanging ideas on topics such as culture, economic development, science, technology, and education can only serve to benefit both communities."

According to Chairman Norman, "We learned how much of western civilization is supplied by products from China. They manufacture all of these products but don't have anybody to sell them to in their own country. They are currently selling some of their goods to European countries; however, America is where the market is."

He went on to say that Lincoln County cannot compete when it comes to production. "Our days of textile plants are over. So instead of trying to locate manufacturers here, we're going after the distributors which would be a means of providing jobs for our people. It is definitely a global economy."

The members of the Lincoln County delegation visited China as guests of the Hero Metal Furniture Company. One of the purposes of the trip was to finalize negotiations regarding the company's future investment in Lincoln County.

During its week in China, the delegation, accompanied by two interpreters at all times, toured the Hero Metal Furniture Company in Jiaxing City which measures three million square feet, sits on 70 acres of land, and employs approximately 2,300 workers.

"The plant was divided into several areas or workshops, each with a different function," said Burke. "There were separate workshops for pouring metal to form the chairs, welding, wicker and fabric weaving, assembling the furniture, and so forth. It was such a vast operation - it was just amazing."

In addition to the tour of the Hero Metal Furniture Company, the itinerary for the group also included:

A welcome banquet held at the Qianxiangge Restaurant in Shanghai. The group was more than happy to enjoy a meal on the ground, after spending a total of 23 hours in an airplane.

Burke said the only time the realization dawned on her that she was in a communist country was at the airport. "It was the only place I saw any evidence of the military. Other than that, we moved about freely. I couldn't tell any difference. I never felt afraid."

Norman said the delegates did not even have to pull out their passports at the airport because they were escorted by government officials.

Sightseeing in Shanghai, featuring such points of interest as Yuyuan Garden, the Old Chenghuang Temple, and Pedestrian Street on Nanjing Road. One of the streets contained various temples built by prosperous people for their families, a Christian church, and several rock gardens as well as gardens filled with statues of literary figures and philosophers.

By some accounts, 90 percent of the people of China are atheists; the official "religion" of the country is atheism. Other religions found in China are Christianity (three to four percent), Daoism, Buddhism, and Islam.

According to Chairman Norman, "Shanghai was like going to New York or Las Vegas - it is a beautiful city."

"It was lit up like Broadway," added Burke. "It was very modern and clean. I was totally impressed with Shanghai. The only thing I didn't like was the smog."

The crowded streets presented a problem for Norman. "I don't know why folks aren't run over by cars all day long - there are so many people in the streets."

A luncheon hosted by the Friendship Association with Foreign Countries of the Xiuzhou District at the Shimao Garden Hotel.

A banquet hosted by the Hero Metal Furniture Company at the Sunny City Restaurant. This was just one of many banquets given in honor of the Lincoln County delegation.

In his remarks, Chairman Norman noted that he did not eat much during his visit to China that was familiar to him. The week's menu included eel; snail; jellyfish; octopus; turtle soup, complete with the shell; fish stomach; chicken soup, bones and all; pork dishes; beef; and other delicacies.

"We ate lots of fish, with the heads on and the eyes in," said the chairman. "Also, the meals lasted a long time - there was a lot of toasting or 'cheering' as they called it."

Burke noted: "The way they presented the food was absolutely beautiful. Also, the service was unbelievable. You couldn't take a sip of water without someone refilling your glass immediately. We ate in our own private dining room in the finest restaurants."

Sightseeing in the downtown area of Jiaxing City and a visit to the island in the South Lake where the Chinese Communist Party was born.

A tour of the new Xiuzhou Financial District, the Xiuzhou District Administrative Center, and the Farmers' Painting Exhibition Center.

"I was most impressed to see the financial district with its awesome buildings," said Burke. "The economy is really flourishing. It's like a big train rolling down the track - there's no slowing down. I am concerned, however, about the demand this economic boom will place on the world's natural resources."

She went on to comment about the speed of the elevator in one of the high-rise professional buildings. "I've never traveled so fast in my life. We flew up 88 stories in 10 seconds. We went so fast it hurt my ears. The office buildings are very modern, with the latest technology."

In further remarks, Burke indicated that in the cities, everybody lives in high-rise buildings.

A banquet hosted by the governor of the Xiuzhou District at the New Xiuzhou Restaurant.

A tour of Wuzhen Town, a famous water region town in southern China on the Yangtze River as well as the hometown of Maodun, a renowned Chinese literatus.

Concerning the people of China, Chairman Norman indicated that there are three classes in the rural areas: farmers, factory workers, and government employees. "We saw poverty in the farming districts. What they called a farm was a half-acre lot - people would be out working the land with pitchforks and hoes. These people lived in shacks."

The more successful farmers lived in narrow houses, three or four stories tall, with tile roofs.

Norman stated that in China, the government owns everything. "They can move you around and you have no say-so."

He likewise pointed out that the government complex for the province was about four times the size of the Augusta-Richmond County Municipal Building.

A visit to the Nanpu Bridge, the Yangbu Bridge, and the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. The tower, which is referred to by the Chinese as "two dragons playing with a pearl," is 1,245 feet high and is one of the tallest structures in Asia. Nine television stations and 10 FM radio stations broadcast from the tower.

A water voyage on the Huangpu River at night.

Sightseeing on the Bund, once the most famous street in Asia due to the fact that the major firms of the Far East had their headquarters in the buildings on the Bund, facing the Huangpu River. First among them was the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank, which was used as the city's Communist Party Headquarters after 1949. It is now the home of the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank.

"Our Chinese hosts tried to show us their country from the standpoint of its history, culture, and economy and the ways in which the country has grown over the centuries," said Burke. "It was clear that China has experienced a boom in development over the last 10 years. There has been phenomenal growth because markets have opened up to them worldwide. Now, they're flooding the market with goods."

In summarizing the trip to China, the development authority director indicated that it was a wonderful experience. "The trip was well-planned - we were busy every day from 9:30 in the morning until 9:30 at night. They really rolled out the red carpet.

"The people were very kind and friendly. They were also very helpful," she stated.

"It was something," said Chairman Norman. "We rode in a limousine with a police escort everywhere we went. Also, there were from 12 to 15 newspaper reporters at all of the formal events. We were even on Chinese television. It was the trip of a lifetime."