On October 4, 2025, I had an amazing opportunity to volunteer at the 4th Annual MoCo CARES Charity Race, an inspiring community event hosted by So What Else and Covenant Life School. The race brings together local families, businesses, and volunteers to support children and families in need across Montgomery County.
Diversity and cultural exchange are one of the most important parts of a country, a society, a community. At the annual Chinese Cultural Festival at D.C., different people from different background, culture, area, came together, shared their culture and embraced other’s culture. Volunteering at the Chinese Cultural Festival in Washington, DC was more than simply lending a hand; it was an opportunity to step into a living expression of culture, community, and connection.
I was truly honored to serve as a youth volunteer at the 23rd Chinese Culture Festival, held on August 30, 2025, at 300 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC, right next to the historic Capitol Hill. Surrounded by the festive atmosphere and the grandeur of the Capitol, this experience became especially memorable. I joined CYOC (Chinese Youth Outreach Center), an organization dedicated to volunteer service and community engagement. Through this event, I not only contributed to the community but also gained a deeper appreciation for the value of cultural exchange.
From July 27th to August 5th, I had the honor of participating in a 10-day summer camp organized by Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, ZUAA-GWDC Foundation, and Capital Youth Outreach Club (CYOC). Nearly 30 students, including myself, were given the incredible opportunity to explore different parts of China. We visited bustling cities like Shanghai and Hangzhou, where swarming streets were filled with vendors, tourists, and the irresistible aroma of fresh food. We also experienced the charm of smaller and more rural areas such as Xiandu and Heyang Ancient House in Jinyun City. For someone like me, who had never been to China before, this was a priceless and memorable chance to connect with the unique culture and lifestyle of my motherland.
As a person living in a society, communities will always mean a lot to us. Whether its the people who live around you, the people who have the same interests as you, or the people who share the same race as you, they will always be a big part of your life. There’s a reason why the Chinese Cultural Festival in D.C. exists and that’s to bring our talented chinese community together. In a large group, we can further strengthen our own relationships, and we can even make brand new ones! When us CYOC volunteers work, we take the word “community” seriously and we try to help everyone we can so that our community members may have the time of their lives.
If you went to Capitol Hill on August 31, 2024, you would have found Tai Chi performers, people playing Go, lion and dragon dances, and stuffed pandas. This is no normal day in DC, it’s the Chinese Culture Festival. Every year since 1993, it draws hundreds of people to gather at Capitol Hill, and clearly NOT for any political event.
The culture festival was created to spread awareness of Chinese culture, hence the name. Last year, my service group, Capitol Youth Outreach Club, volunteered at this festival, and my job was to walk around the city and do some advertising. This year, I switched to the reporter group. My job this time around was to take pictures and videos and write a report on the festival.
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