The City of Penrith is located at the foot of the Blue Mountains. It is only 50 minutes by road from Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, Australia. With an estimated population of over 160,000, it is the fastest growing city in the state.

Penrith follows a similar weather pattern to Sydney with only slight variations in temperature. Its temperature averages 16 to 30 ℃ in summer and 3 to 17 ℃ in winter, with an annual average rainfall of 784 mm.

Penrith was first inhabited by the Aboriginal Darug Tribe with many descendants still living in the area today. In 1789, Captain Watkin Tench of the Royal Marines led a party to the foothills of the Blue Mountains. They made a northward advance along what was later named “the Napean River”. Following their settlement, the district rapidly developed in agriculture and food production. In 1810, it became one of the primary areas for development due to the new route west to the Blue Mountains. In 1822, it was officially named Penrith.

The most popular means of transport to Penrith is by car. Penrith is less than a 50-minute drive from Mascot International Airport. The M4 Motorway starts at Strathfield and takes you directly to the Penrith Valley. If you are travelling from the outer west, follow the signs to Lithgow and drive across the Blue Mountains along the Great Western Highway. Penrith is around 75 minutes by car towards Sydney from the entrance to the Blue Mountains at Mount Victoria.

The flat terrain of Penrith makes it easy for riding a bike. The local railway authorities allow passengers to bring their bikes onto the train during non-peak hours. You may also rent a bike near the Blue Mountains and ride to the city center following the forest and the stream.

In 2003, the Mayor of Penrith led a delegation for a visit to Kunshan, during which the mayor had a meeting with then vice mayor Gao Xuekun, with both sides agreeing to sign a friendly relationship. Since then, the two cities have exchanged many visits and contacts. As part of friendly cooperation between the two sides, Wang Zunshan, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office, and Sheng Xuedong, Deputy Director of the Construction Bureau, were assigned to Penrith for a three-month exchange program. This past July, Kunshan also dispatched three students from a Kunqu Opera program of a local primary school to Penrith for a four-day cultural exchange event, where they performed three selected scenes at a local music festival.