Festival bridges cultures in the US capital

Guizhou, a place that in 2016 earned a place in the New York Times list of top "52 places to go," showed up at the Washington Chinese Cultural Festival on Saturday.

"We are showing the different minorities of Guizhou. There's Miao (people), and there's Dong (people). And there's all the drawings and the figurines, and they all represent 1 of the 17 minorities in Guizhou," Nafisa Rustan, a volunteer working at Guizhou's workshop of ethnic groups, told China Daily.

"Different cultures have really interested me because I'm also part of a minority, and I just like learning about other minorities and where they come from and how they are today," said Rustan. "And I think it's also really awesome sharing the culture of the Chinese."

At the event, five workshops showcased the rich cultural heritage of Guizhou, including traditional batik, ethnic clothing, tea, and a photo exhibition showcasing Guizhou's scenic beauty.

"The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Everyone is saying that if they visit China, they must go to Guizhou. Many people are familiar with Beijing and Shanghai, but when it comes to Guizhou, it's often unknown to foreigners. Yet, Guizhou is incredibly beautiful and deserves to be known by more people," Zou Ying, a volunteer at one of the Guizhou workshops, told China Daily.