Both cities have hosted the Summer Olympics — Beijing in 2008 and Rio in 2016 — and the Games spirit is embedded in both cities. To celebrate three decades of sisterhood ties, the Rio Olympic emblem was lit at the National Stadium in Beijing on Aug 4, 2016, the eve of the opening of the Rio Games.

"The Olympic Games were an opportunity for both cities to showcase their strengths," said Renan Ferreirinha, secretary of education of Rio de Janeiro, who paid a visit to Beijing earlier this year.

"I think Beijing is where humanity has created some of the most beautiful things on earth, and with Rio nature has gifted us with the most beautiful city in the world."

A group of architecture students from Tsinghua University recently went on an educational tour to Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro, where they met local professors and students. "Rio, nestled between mountains and the sea, is a cityscape shaped by nature," said Yue Kaijian, the group's student counselor. "We were amazed by its beauty."

In 2012, Rio's distinctive landscape earned UNESCO recognition and was inscribed on the World Heritage List under the title "Rio de Janeiro: Carioca Landscapes between the Mountain and the Sea". The term Carioca is used to refer to anything related to the city of Rio. Similarly, Beijing's Forbidden City, an imperial palace complex, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.

"What impressed me most was the rich history and culture that Beijing carries," said Marcia Melchior, coordinator and artistic director of the Copacabana Fort Orchestra, named after the Copacabana Fort in Rio de Janeiro.