桂林市与新西兰黑斯廷斯市于1981年3月4日缔结友好城市关系，是中国和新西兰两国间的第一对友好城市。

黑斯廷斯市位于新西兰北岛霍克湾地区，西、北两面环山，东濒太平洋。面积5229平方公里，人口约8万。黑斯廷斯光照充足，土壤肥沃，农牧业十分发达。它是新西兰苹果、梨、桃等水果的主产地，盛产葡萄和葡萄酒。传统经济门类为肉类和水果加工业。近年来旅游业依托当地的美食美酒、历史建筑和户外运动得到快速发展。

桂林市与黑斯廷斯市的友好交往，源于上个世纪70年代后期新西兰著名园艺科学家唐·麦肯齐博士与广西植物研究所的业务接触。在他的积极倡导下，桂林与黑斯廷斯两个相距遥远的城市走到了一起，开创了中国与新西兰两国友好城市交流的历史。

桂林市与黑斯廷斯市在众多领域保持着广泛而深入的交流合作，人员往来频繁，友谊不断加深，两市的友城交往结出了累累硕果，为中国与世界各国建立和深化友城关系树立了典范。

广西植物研究所多年开展与黑斯廷斯市的果园管理、草地建植技术与园林花卉等方面的交流。桂林市与黑斯廷斯市互派经贸、农业、园艺、园林等专业考察团组共12批96人次。共有13批23名桂林市政府工作人员、园艺和畜牧技术人员到黑斯廷斯市进行短期工作交流。桂林市协助黑斯廷斯市设计、修建了象征两市友好的中国式园林——桂花园。黑斯廷斯民间友好组织通过新西兰政府援助资金帮助广西和桂林进行石漠化治理，获得自治区政府颁发的“金绣球”奖。

桂林是广西第一个聘请外籍教师到中学任教的城市。桂林市与黑斯廷斯市互派教育代表团对各级教育进行系统考察，建立了5对姐妹学校关系。两市还互派中学生代表团互访，开展结对交流和短期学习。

在文化艺术领域，两市开展了一系列丰富多彩的交流活动，如音乐、舞蹈、杂技演出，陶艺、图片展览等。1997年，中央电视台《正大综艺》摄制组拍摄并播出《国际友城系列--桂林•黑斯廷斯专辑》。近年来，黑斯廷斯发起“极限挑战”活动，通过趣味竞赛，吸引更多的市民参与到两市交流活动中来。

Guilin and Hastings established a sister city relationship on 4 March 1981, becoming the first pair of sister cities between China and New Zealand.

The City of Hastings is situated in Hawke’s Bay, North Island of New Zealand, surrounded by mountains in the west and north and the Pacific Ocean in the east. It covers an area of 5,229 km²and has a population of about 80,000. 

Hastings has abundant sunshine, fertile soil and well-developed farming and horticulture sectors. It is New Zealand’s main area to  grow fruits such as apple, pear, peach and grapes, and produce many acclaimed wines.

While meat and fruit processing remains the traditional industry, tourism relying on food and wine, historic architecture and outdoor adventures has developed rapidly in recent years.

The Guilin-Hastings connection originated from the business contact between Dr. Don Mackenzie, a famous New Zealand horticulturalist, and Guangxi Institute of Botany in the late 1970s. 

Under his initiative, Guilin and Hastings, two far-flung cities, were brought together, creating a history of sister city exchanges between China and New Zealand.

Guilin and Hastings maintain extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation in many fields. Frequent two-way visits have reinforced the friendly relations. The sister city link has yielded fruitful results, setting a good example for China to establish and deepen sister city relations with other countries in the world

Guangxi Institute of Botany has shared with its Hastings counterparts know-how in orchard management, grassland construction and garden planting technology. Guilin and Hastings have exchanged trade, agriculture, horticulture, landscaping and other groups, a total of 12 batches of 96 people. A total of 13 groups of 23 Guilin government staff, horticultural and animal husbandry technicians went to Hastings for short-term work exchange. Guilin assisted Hastings in designing and building a Chinese style garden, Osmanthus Garden, which symbolizes the friendship between the two cities. A Hastings-based non-governmental organization helped Guangxi and Guilin to control rocky desertification through New Zealand government assistance fund, and won the "Golden Embroidered Ball" award from the government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Guilin is the first city in Guangxi to employ foreign teachers to teach in middle schools. Guilin and Hastings have exchanged educational visits at all levels, and established five pairs of sister schools. The two cities have also sent middle school student groups to visit each other for pair-up programs and short-term learning.

In the field of culture and art, the two cities have carried out varied exchange activities, such as music, dance, acrobatic, ceramic art, photo exhibition, etc. In 1997, Guilin and Hastings were featured in the International Sister City Series of CCTV's "Zhengda Variety Show". In recent years, Hastings has launched "Ultimate Challenge" activities to attract more citizens to participate in the exchanges between the two cities through interesting competitions.