The 22nd Washington Chinese Culture Festival began on Saturday, fostering new opportunities for diverse cultures to connect and learn from each other.

The crowd often erupted in cheers during the lion dance performances, particularly when Anaje Kilpatrick, an African American, performed. Many attendees were surprised to see a non-Chinese person participating in the traditional dance.

Kilpatrick has been practicing Chinese kung fu for six years. "I started with tai chi. Then I joined Wong People at the Chinese Cultural Center in Chinatown, where I began learning kung fu. Since lion dance incorporates many kung fu stances, that's how I got into it, and I love it," Kilpatrick told China Daily.

Meanwhile, as China seeks to boost foreign tourism, the southwestern province of Guizhou is taking it one step further by participating in Saturday's event to promote its tourism

At the festival, Nafisa Rustan, a volunteer at Guizhou's ethnic groups workshop, told China Daily: "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 one of the 17 minorities in Guizhou."

Rustan, who is also from an ethnic group, expressed her enthusiasm: "I just like learning about other minorities ... And I think it's also really awesome sharing the culture of the Chinese."

Five workshops at the event showcased Guizhou's rich cultural heritage, including traditional batik, ethnic clothing and a photo exhibition of its scenic beauty.

"The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive," volunteer Zou Ying told China Daily. "Everyone is saying that if they visit China, they must go to Guizhou."

Attendee Nicole He shared her surprise at seeing Guizhou's traditional batik art in person.

"I had seen a documentary about Guizhou's batik on TV, but I never expected to encounter it here. The colors in batik aren't always easy to get right on the first try. You need to understand the process and work on it for a long time. These materials are rare, so I was amazed to see them here in DC," she told China Daily.

The most common feedback from visitors about the Guizhou workshops was that they were "very unique", volunteer Maggie Wu told China Daily. The opportunity to witness authentic culture brought to Washington had many foreign guests excited, Wu said.

It was a great platform for showcasing Chinese culture, she said.