Posted by YOUTHTALKS YOUNG REPORTER SERIES
At the 24th Washington Chinese Culture Festival, two YouthTalks young reporters stepped into the lively celebration to interview visitors, performers, and cultural booth representatives.
Reported and written by Tansy Yu & Lan Ou
YouthTalks Young Reporter · Team 2
WASHINGTON, D.C. On a sunny day in downtown Washington, D.C., people gathered for the annual Washington Chinese Culture Festival. The streets were filled with food, music, performances, colorful decorations, and people from many different backgrounds.
At first, the festival looked like a fun place to spend an afternoon. People walked around, tried different foods, watched performances, and talked with friends and family. But after talking with several visitors and performers, I realized that the festival was about more than just having fun.
It was also a chance for people to learn about Chinese culture and experience different traditions. One of the people I interviewed was a couple from Hagerstown. They said they both work at the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center (CCACC) and had come to the festival to enjoy the activities. They were excited to see the different performances, music, and food.
When I asked them why events like this are important, they talked about how Washington, D.C. is a “melting pot” where people from many different cultures live together. Events like the Chinese Culture Festival give people an opportunity to experience cultures that they may not know much about.
For visitors, trying new food and watching performances was not just entertainment. It was also a way to learn something new and enjoy a different culture. As I walked through the festival, I also saw many people working hard to make the event happen. Vendors were busy serving food and drinks while visitors moved from booth to booth.
Performers and musicians were also preparing to share their talents with the crowd. One of the people I interviewed was the director of the American Chinese Youth Orchestra. He explained that their group performs Chinese pieces and works hard to prepare for their performances.
The preparation does not happen overnight. The musicians practice regularly and spend a lot oftime learning the pieces before performing them in front of an audience. Their goal is not only to perform music, but also to introduce Chinese music to people who may be hearing it for the first time.
He also explained that bringing people together through music can help visitors appreciate Chinese culture. For some people, the festival may be their first time seeing a Chinese cultural performance. What stood out to me most was how many different people came together at the festival.
Somepeople came to eat, some came to watch performances, and others came to share their music and culture. Everyone had a different reason for being there, but they were all part of the same community for the day.The festival showed me that culture is not only something we read about in books. We can experience it through food, music, performances, and conversations with other people.
After spending the day interviewing visitors and performers, I saw the festival differently. Whatfirst looked like simply a fun afternoon was actually a place where people could share theirculture, learn from one another, and bring the community together。
YouthTalks Reporter ：Tansy Yu
华盛顿特区讯 在一个阳光明媚的日子里，人们齐聚华盛顿特区市中心，参加一年一度的华盛顿中国文化节。街道上汇集了美食、音乐、精彩表演和色彩缤纷的装饰，吸引了许多不同文化背景的人前来参与。
起初，这个文化节看起来只是一个适合度过愉快下午的地方。人们在各个摊位间漫步，品尝不同的美食，观看演出，并与亲朋好友聊天。然而，在采访了几位游客和表演者之后，我意识到，这个文化节的意义不仅仅是让大家享受欢乐。
它也为人们提供了一个了解中华文化、体验不同传统的机会。我采访的其中一对夫妇来自马里兰州黑格斯敦。他们告诉我，两人都在美京华人社区服务中心（CCACC）工作，这次来到文化节是为了参加并体验这里的各项活动。他们非常期待欣赏不同的表演和音乐，也想品尝各种美食。
当我问他们为什么这样的活动很重要时，他们提到，华盛顿特区就像一个“大熔炉”，许多来自不同文化背景的人在这里共同生活。中国文化节这样的活动，让人们有机会亲身体验那些自己可能并不熟悉的文化。
对游客来说，品尝新鲜美食和观看精彩表演不仅是一种娱乐，也是一种学习新知识、感受不同文化的方式。
在文化节现场，我还看到许多人为了活动的顺利举行而辛勤工作。游客们穿梭于各个摊位之间，商家则忙着为他们提供食物和饮品。表演者和音乐家也在认真准备，等待向现场观众展示自己的才艺。
我采访的另一位嘉宾是美国华裔青少年乐团的负责人。他介绍说，乐团演奏中国音乐作品，并且会为每场演出进行认真、充分的准备。
这样的准备并不是一朝一夕就能完成的。乐团成员需要定期排练，并花费大量时间熟悉和练习曲目，之后才能在观众面前进行演出。他们的目标不仅是演奏音乐，也希望把中国音乐介绍给那些可能第一次接触它的观众。
他还表示，通过音乐把人们聚集在一起，可以帮助游客更好地欣赏和理解中华文化。对于一些人来说，这次文化节可能是他们第一次现场观看中国文化表演。
最令我印象深刻的是，许多不同背景的人因为这个文化节相聚在一起。有的人为了品尝美食而来，有的人为了观看演出而来，还有的人则希望分享自己的音乐和文化。虽然每个人来到这里的原因各不相同，但在这一天，他们都成为了同一个社区的一员。
这次文化节让我明白，文化不仅存在于书本之中。我们也可以通过美食、音乐、表演以及与他人的交流，亲身感受文化。
经过一天对游客和表演者的采访，我对这个文化节有了不同的认识。起初，它看起来只是一个让人们轻松享受下午时光的活动；但实际上，这是一个让人们分享自己的文化、相互学习并凝聚社区力量的平台。
More Than a Festival: Discovering Chinese Culture
by Lan Ou
Going to the Washington Chinese Culture Festival was an exciting and interesting experience. I learned about Chinese culture by watching performances, trying Chinese food, visiting different booths, and talking with volunteers.
One of my favorite parts was interviewing Wenjing at a Chinese tea booth. She showed us different kinds of tea, such as white tea, green tea, and oolong tea. She explained that tea is not just a drink. People can also learn where tea comes from, how it is made, and why different teas taste different. I learned that tea is an important part of Chinese culture.
I also enjoyed watching the Chinese performances. The music, dancing, and colorful clothes were exciting to see. They helped me learn more about Chinese traditions. I also liked trying Chinese food. For example lamb skewers, seafood skewers, and more! Chinese food is very savory and delicious.However it is another to connect chinese culture.
The festival taught me that Chinese culture has many different parts. It also showed me that sharing food, music, art, and traditions can help people understand each other better. I had a great time and learned a lot at the festival.
不只是一场文化节：探索中华文化
参加华盛顿中国文化节是一次令人兴奋而又有趣的经历。通过观看表演、品尝中国美食、参观不同的文化展位以及与志愿者交流，我对中华文化有了更多了解。
我最喜欢的活动之一，是在一个中国茶文化展位采访Wenjing。她向我们介绍了不同种类的茶，例如白茶、绿茶和乌龙茶。她解释说，茶不仅仅是一种饮品。人们还可以了解茶叶来自哪里、如何制作，以及为什么不同的茶有不同的味道。我了解到，茶是中华文化中非常重要的一部分。
我也很喜欢观看中国文化表演。音乐、舞蹈和色彩鲜艳的服装都令人兴奋，也帮助我更加深入地了解中国传统文化。我还品尝了许多中国美食，例如羊肉串、海鲜串等。中国美食味道浓郁，非常可口，也是感受和了解中华文化的另一种方式。
这次文化节让我认识到，中华文化包含许多不同的方面。它也让我明白，分享美食、音乐、艺术和传统，可以帮助不同文化背景的人们更好地了解彼此。我在文化节上度过了非常愉快的时光，也学到了很多知识。
YouthTalks reporter：Lan Ou
Yi-Radio 