Taicang, China

Awarded as the happiest Chinese city multiple times, Taicang is among the top 10 richest small cities in China for the past decade. Only 50Km from Shanghia in Suzhou region of Jiangsu Province, this beautiful garden city features villages and towns by water. With the 39th largest port in the world and integration to the economy of Shanghai, Taicang's ideal investment environment has attracted more than 1200 foreign companies, 350 are Germans as of 2020. It's ranked as top city of investment potenial by Forbes, and is one of the most open cities in China. Population 940,000.

Story of Friendship

The founding members of ViaSoccer shared a passion for connecting cultures through soccer. There were no better cities to start with than their hometowns, Taicang and Macerata. In 2015, two ViaSoccer coaches came to Taicang and opened the door of friendship with a soccer ball (hence the name, ViaSoccer!). Since then, city leaders have traversed the globe and discovered many areas of collaboration, from sports to education, trade to art, and more. In January 2016, the cities signed a friendship agreement and committed to actively promoting partnership. This is probably one of the most active pair of sister cities in the world.

Macerata, Italy

The capital city of Macerata Province, Marche, Macerata is unique for its picturesque landscape, ancient history, and rich cultural atmosphere. Its rich ties to East Asia date back to the late 1500s. Famous residents include the first Italian cultural ambassador to China, Matteo Ricci, and artist Giuseppe Tucci. The region is also a center of "Made-in-Italy," a renowned indicator of the utmost quality. It is home to the University of Macerata, one of the oldest universities in the country, and its annual Opera Festival attracts tourists from all over the world. Its population of 43,000 is dwarfed by that of Taicang.