The concept of twinning began back in 1947 as a way to encourage the people of Europe to get a closer understanding of each other. Tamasine Johnson has the low-down on the towns lucky enough to be twinned with our fair city.

The idea of twinning first began in Europe after world War II as a way of bringing people closer together and to offer them a chance to learn more about each other. Newport is a popular town when it comes to twinning. We are currently twinned with no fewer than three different places - Heidenheim in Germany, Katusi in Georgia and the Guangxi Province in China.

Heidenheim

Location: The city can be found nestled in the valleys of Southern Germany.

Population: 50,000 inhabitants.

History: Newport has been twinned with Heidenheim since 1981. There's evidence suggesting life existed in Heidenhiem as many as 8,000 years ago.

But a stable community wasn't established until around 1300 BC. The main church in the town was erected in 1843 and replaced one that had burnt to the ground in 1840.

Key facts: The mayor of the town is Mr Bernhard Ilg. Bernhard has been in this esteemed position since 2000 and has made many improvements for the citizens of Heidenhiem.

Places to visit: Key events on the Heidenheim calendar include the annual opera festival hosted in the town's historic Hellenstein Castle. Residents also hold a yearly theatre festival in their outdoor nature theatre. Every second year hundreds of shepherds descend on the town to take part in the town's Shepherds Run which first began back in 1723. During the festivities the town's folk also crown the new shepherd King and Queen.

Famous residents: Erwin Rommel was born in Heidenheim in 1891. He was thought to have been a key conspirator in the attempted assassination of Hitler during WWII and as a result was 'forced to commit suicide' by Hitler's officials before the end of the war.

Kutaisi

Location: Katiasi can be found in Georgia who gained her independence from the USSR in 1991. Katiasi is now the countries second biggest city.

Population: More than 250,000.

History: Archaeological discoveries in the city suggest that human life existed in Katiasi as early as the 2nd millennium BC. Many also believe that Katiasi was the final destination for Jason and the Argonauts in Homer's classic story. Katiasi was once the capital city of The United Georgian Kingdom before it became occupied by Soviet Russia. Since the country regained her independence in 1991 there have been a number of economic problems and many residents are believed to have left the area to earn a living abroad.

Key facts: The city is nearly 1,000 ft above sea level. The hottest temperature recorded here was 40C and the coldest was -17C.

Places to visit: Popular attractions include the mighty Rionu river which runs through the centre of the city. Visitors are also attracted to the runied Bagtrai Cathedral which is thought to have been built in the 11th century. The site is now an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Guangxi Province

Location: Southern China

Population: 50 million

History: Guangxi became an official province of China in 214BC when it was formally claimed by the Qin Dynasty. The area has since seen its name change many times every time a new ruling dynasty comes into power in China. The province has also faced numerous invasions, including one by Japan in 1944 at the end of World War II. As a result Guangxi remained under Japanese occupation until the Communists took over in 1949 and Guangxi became part of the People's Republic of China.

Key facts: The province thrives on its agriculture and grows rice, maize and wheat. They also grow tobacco, peanuts and sugar cane which they then sell on to international traders.

It is said that Guangxi has more tin and magnesium deposits than any other province in China.

Places to visit: Tourists tend to head for the town of Guilin which is famous across all of China for its beauty and dramatic location on the banks of the Lijjang River. Backpackers also like the nearby town of Yangshuo.