Mangaung, capital of the Free State Province, is the judicial capital of South Africa. It is the political, economic and cultural center of central South Africa. The city covers an area of about 466 square kilometers and has a population of about 650,000, with rolling hills and beautiful scenery. Originally a fortress, Mangaung was officially founded in 1846. Now it is a major transportation hub. Its Afrikaans name “Bloemfontein” originally means “the Fountainhead of Blossoms”. Nanjing and Mangaung established sister-city relationship in March 2000. It is Nanjing’s first sister city in Africa.    
In April 2015, Nanjing sent a delegation to South Africa to participate in a series of special events for Jiangsu during the Year of China in South Africa, and held “Nanjing-Mangaung Hand-in-Hand” activities in Mangaung. In September 2015, the executive deputy Mayor of Mangaung visited Nanjing and attended relevant activities of Nanjing Youth Culture Week. A Memorandum of Understanding for Further Friendly Cooperation was signed by the two sides. In June 2016, Nanjing sent a delegation to visit Mangaung and held “Nanjing-Mangaung Hand-in-Hand” activities together with “Eyes on Africa” painting exhibition by Nanjing artists in South Africa.