Our Sponsors & Supporters
The Christchurch City Council via Christchurch China Sister Cities Committee supports the vision and mission of the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand. The foundation is absolutely dedicated to protecting his legacy, enhancing Rewi Alley’s spirit and ensuring his connection to Canterbury is honoured and remembered by all.
Christchurch City has a sister province relationship with Gansu Province established in 1984. A sister city relationship with Wuhan City was established in 2006. With Hohhot City relationship established in 2025.
All relationships have a tangible and historical connection to Rewi Alley.
The Hurunui District supports the vision and mission of the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand. The foundation is dedicated to protecting his legacy and enhancing his spirit, and ensuring his connection to Canterbury is honoured and remembered by all.
Hurunui District has a sister district relationship with Changping District, Beijing established in 2015. A sister city relationship with Honghu City established in 2017 at the 120th Anniversary of Rewi Alley’s birth.
Both relationships have a tangible and historical connection to Rewi Alley.
The Selwyn District supports the vision and mission of the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand. The foundation is dedicated to protecting his legacy and enhancing his spirit, and ensuring his connection to Canterbury is honoured and remembered by all.
Selwyn District has a sister district relationship with Shandan County in Gansu Province, established in 2009.
This relationship has a tangible and historical connection to Rewi Alley.
The Christchurch China Sister Cities Committee
The Christchurch Chinese Sister Cities Committee together with the sister city committee of Selwyn District and Hurunui District, strengthens ties between Christchurch and wider Canterbury, New Zealand, with their Chinese sister cities through cultural exchange, education, and collaboration. Our alignment with the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand is a natural and positive collaboration, as all parties are focused on promoting and honouring the Rewi Alley legacy and his tangible connection to Canterbury.
Carpet Binders
Carpetbinders is proud to sponsor the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand As a trade-based business, we deeply resonate with the “hands and minds” concept that Rewi Alley championed. Being a Canterbury-based business, we celebrate our local history and strongly believe in the importance of educating more people about our local heroes.
GEM Training Services
Gem Training Services is proud to support the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand. Their educational initiatives strongly resonate with the principles and practices we uphold at Gem. The opportunity to support such a worthy initiative connects with our company culture and values.
Smart Websites
Smart Websites deeply appreciates the work of the Rewi Alley Foundation, as it aligns with our company’s ethos of delivering educational solutions for youth that strike a balance between real-world and digital learning. We also value their commitment to promoting inclusivity, embracing family/whānau, and celebrating diverse cultures, all values which we share.
Yili Oceania
Yili, Oceania Dairy and Westland Milk, as part of the Yili Group, are proud to support this initiative, as it aligns with the company’s core values of proactive community engagement, particularly in the areas of youth and education.
Rewi Alley, during the summer of 1929, worked tirelessly on drought alleviation efforts in Inner Mongolia alongside his first adopted son, Alan (Duan Simou). Yili Group, the parent company, is headquartered in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China. This direct connection to Rewi Alley’s legacy in Inner Mongolia is a tangible link we honour.
Kia Ora Tai Chi
Kia Ora Tai Chi is honoured to sponsor the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand. We deeply admire the spirit of Rewi Alley, his educational philosophies, and his humble approach to life.
We are particularly inspired by his words in Verse XVI of his peom “Autobiography II”
“Peking and many a quiet afternoon around the old antique street of Lu Li Chang, looking too; and so many exhibitions, the fruit of many lands, many hands, many ages; fascinated by origins, and loving too the background of abundant child life in this old city; practising tai-chi-chuan, pattering away on the typewriter trying to tell at least some of the story; watching change roll in, now getting used to it as a part of living; the old trying to hold, and the new pushing past all barriers.”*
This beautifully reflects the balance of tradition and change, a philosophy that resonates deeply with our Tai Chi practice and values.
The Children’s University in Canterbury
The Children’s University in Canterbury (a collaboration between the University of Canterbury and Lincoln University) offers educational programmes and activities designed to inspire and engage young learners. Partnering with schools and local organizations, it provides unique learning experiences outside the classroom, encouraging curiosity, creativity, and a love for lifelong learning. Being involved in the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand’s educational initiatives supports our core objectives and mandate.
One Pure
One Pue Water is proud to be a sponsor of the Rewi Alley Trail under the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand banner, their philosophy of the wellbeing of the people especially the children and the environment resonate with One Pure and aligns with our other community initiatives.
One Pure parent company Huadu International Group is based in Beijing, where Rewi Alley spent the 30 years of life.
Rewi Alley lived in an apartment in the Youxie compound on Taijichang Street in central Beijing, from 1958 until his death in 1987. The building was the former Italian legation building. This handsome stone and wood-framed building, located in the central Legation Quarter, was built in the late 19th century to house the Italian ambassador and his staff.
After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the building was converted into flats for prominent “foreign friends of China”.
Christchurch City Libraries
Christchurch City Libraries is a network of 20 physical and one mobile library, including the central library, Tūranga. The libraries offer a wide range of resources like books, movies, and eResources, both in-person and digitally. Membership is free for Christchurch City Council residents and ratepayers, and includes access to services like borrowing, free computer use, and internet access.
It is also a key place for having your Children’s University passport stamped.
Want to be a Sponsor or Supporter?
Videos of support for the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand
On Saturday, the 2nd of December, 2022, the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand was officially launched at the Hurunui District Council Chambers in Amberley .
We received best wishes, and an overwhelming number of letters of support and acknowledgement either in person, via video link or via email as follows.
Ambassador Grahame Morton
Via Video
Grahame Morton took up the role of New Zealand Ambassador to Beijing in December 2022.
Madam Xiaomei Zhan, Director General of Hubei Foreign Affairs Office
Via Video
Hubei Province has multiple Sister City relationships in the South Island of New Zealand. Two key relationships are in the Canterbury Province, Wuhan City with Christchurch City and Honghu City with Hurunui District.
Rewi Alley supported the people of these two cities with vital flood relief work in the 1930’s.
Mr Michael Crook, Chair of ICCIC (International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives), also known as Gung Ho.
Via Video
In 1937, Rewi Alley, Edgar and Helen Foster Snow, and patriots in China
initiated the Gung Ho Movement. They organised, laid off workers and refugees displaced by the Japanese invasion to set up manufacturing cooperatives in aid of China’s resistance effort. This soon became a nation-wide civil movement of some 3,000 cooperatives.
Madam Xie Qiong, Director Foreign Affairs Office of the CCP Honghu City Committee
Letter Translated
Respected trustees of Rewi Alley Foundation,
Greetings!
On this commemorative occasion, I extend warm congratulations on behalf of the Foreign Affairs Office of the CCP Honghu City Committee to the establishment of the Rewi Alley Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to honoring and preserving the name of Mr Rewi Alley, promoting his significant connections with the Canterbury region, and serving as a repository for artifacts related to Rewi Alley after its establishment. This not only serves as a tribute to Rewi Alley but also functions as a means of safeguarding artifacts associated with him. Coincidentally, in Mr Rewi Alley’s former residence in Honghu, items from his lifetime and objects reflecting the interactions between Honghu and the Hurunui District of New Zealand in recent years are preserved. Here, we can witness the history of Rewi Alley’s five visits to Honghu, grasp the “Honghu Spirit” refined and summarised by Mr Alley, and witness the establishment and development of friendship between Honghu and the Hurunui District of New Zealand owing to both of our connections with Mr Alley.
I am well aware that the establishment of the foundation is the result of the diligent efforts and selfless dedication of all its members. It is your hard work and devotion that have enabled the Rewi Alley Foundation to be established today and to continue growing in the future. I hope that Honghu can collaborate with the foundation to promote and preserve the “Rewi Alley Spirit”.
Lastly, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you once again and wish the Rewi Alley Foundation to continue to research, to inspire, inspiration, and to advance the spirit and legacy of Rewi Alley for the benefit of the public.
(Signature of Mme Xie Qiong, Director)
Foreign Affairs Office of the CCP Honghu City Committee
November 2022
Madam He Ying Consul General of the People’s Republic of China in Christchurch
Spoken in Person
Speech at the Official launch of the Rewi Alley Foundation（Hurunui District Council,14:30）
Tena katou tena katou tena tatou katua! Distinguished guests, Ladies and gentlemen, Good afternoon, 大家下午好
I’m honored to attend the official launch of the Rewi Alley Foundation. First of all, on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Christchurch, I would like to extend my congratulations on the establishment of the Foundation. 首先，我谨代表中国驻克赖斯特彻奇总领馆，对基金会的成立表示热烈祝贺。再次感谢远道而来的马廷礼副主任和甘肃省代表团一行。
Thank you very much, Mayor Marie, Michelle and Allison for your great efforts to carry forward the Rewi Alley spirit and organize today’s event. I’d also like to thank Member of Parliament Stuart Smith, and all our friends who are here today.
The official launch of Rewi Alley Foundation is really worth celebrating. It is great to see that the members of the Foundation come not only from Hurunui, Christchurch and Selwyn, but also from all over New Zealand, including relatives of Rewi Alley.
The Foundation’s objective is to promote and preserve the legacy of Rewi Alley. It is true that Rewi Alley left a lot of valuable material and cultural heritage for Shandan and Canterbury, but his legacy is more of spiritual.I think there are three main points: First, Shandan Bailie School and the education concept of “hand and brain”. Second, the Gung Ho Movement and “Work hard, work together”. Third, the New Zealand-China Friendship Society and the China-New Zealand friendship. 基金会的宗旨是保护和弘扬路易艾黎的遗产。诚然，艾黎为甘肃山丹、为坎特伯雷留下了许多宝贵的物质文化遗产，但他的遗产更多是精神上的，我想主要有三点：一是山丹培黎学校和“手脑并用”的教育理念。二是工合运动和“努力干、一起干”的精神。三是他积极推进的新中友好和在他提议下成立的新中友协。
Last year marked the 50th anniversary of China New Zealand diplomatic relations, and next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-New Zealand comprehensive strategic partnership. The Rewi Alley Spirit is all the more important at present. To carry forward China-New Zealand friendship and advance China-New Zealand relations in the new era, we still need to work hard and work together with our hands and brains.去年是中新建交50周年，明年是中新全面战略伙伴关系建立10周年，弘扬艾黎精神在当下更具有特殊重要意义。在新时代传承中新友好，推进中新关系，依然需要我们手脑并用，努力干，一起干。
Once again congratulations to the establishment of the Foundation . I sincerely hope that the Foundation can further protect and promote Rewi Alley’s legacy, encourage more organizations in both countries to study Rewi Alley, further inherit and carry forward the spirit of Rewi Alley. Let’s work together to make new contributions to China-New Zealand friendship! 衷心祝愿路易·艾黎基金会保护好、推广好艾黎的遗产，促进和鼓励新中两国对艾黎及其精神的研究，进一步传承和发扬艾黎精神，共同为中新友谊做出新的贡献！ Thank you all! 谢谢！
Madam Fang Zhao (Jessie), Chief Representative of ShaanXi Provincial Department Of Commerce Representative Office In New Zealand. Chair of New Zealand ShaanXi General Association Of Commerce Incorporated (NZSGAC)
China ShaanXi Province Saturday 2nd December 2022
Madam Zhao met with members of the Baoji City Council and Fengxian County Magistrate to honour Rewi Alley’s birthday and the establishment of the Rewi Alley Foundation of New Zealand.
Inside Rewi Alley’s home Shuangshipu (Fengxian)
