BLIA Washington, D.C. Chapter Participates in Two Major Cultural Festivals to Celebrate Buddha’s Birthday

At the Asian Festival on Main in Virginia, BLIA YAD members Raymond Yuan (left) and Grace Wei (right) from the BLIA Washington, D.C. Chapter managed the “Three Acts of Goodness Interactive” booth and carefully explained the Three Acts of Goodness to children. (Photo by Andy Chen)

[Reported by Andy Chen Washington, D.C., USA]  To celebrate the joyous occasion of Buddha’s Birthday, the BLIA Washington, D.C. Chapter participated in two major cultural events in the Greater Washington area on May 16 and 17, 2026: the 2026 Fiesta Asia Street Fair in Washington, D.C. and the Asian Festival on Main in Virginia. The chapter specially set up “Cloud and Water Bathing Buddha” and “Three Acts of Goodness Interactive” booths, bringing the compassion and wisdom of Humanistic Buddhism into mainstream communities on the East Coast and attracting many visitors from both local and international communities to experience spiritual purification.

At the 2026 Fiesta Asia Street Fair held on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. on May 16, the atmosphere was lively and festive. In addition to offering the Cloud and Water Bathing Buddha ceremony, the BLIA Washington, D.C. Chapter carefully designed a prize wheel quiz on “The Life of the Buddha,” as well as a “Three Acts of Goodness Bean Bag Toss” game based on the principles of “Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, and Think Good Thoughts.” A wishing tree was also set up for participants to write down their blessings and aspirations. Chengchieh Huang, Director of the Overseas Community Education Center also attended with staff members to participate in the Bathing Buddha ceremony and join in the celebration.

The following day, the chapter moved to the Asian Festival on Main in the Old Town district of Fairfax, Virginia, where many families came out to enjoy the event together. Numerous children were especially drawn to the interactive activities such as the “Three Acts of Goodness Bean Bag Toss,” eagerly lining up to participate amid continuous laughter and excitement. Rita Lee, Deputy Director of the Overseas Community Education Center, also attended to express appreciation for the chapter’s efforts in promoting culture through the event booth.

At the Asian Festival on Main in Virginia, visitors lined up to participate in the prize quiz activity “Getting to Know the Humanistic Buddha.” (Photo by Yuan Wei-Jie)

At the Asian Festival on Main in Virginia, President Elisabeth Hsu demonstrated how to perform the Bathing Buddha ritual while a continuous line of participants waited behind her. (Photo by Yuan Wei-Jie)

Elisabeth Hsu, President of the BLIA Washington, D.C. Chapter, shared that the Founding Master of Fo Guang Shan Venerable Master Hsing Yun taught that Buddhism should reach out into society so that more people can understand Humanistic Buddhism. Although the volunteers were physically tired after two days of service at the Cloud and Water Bathing Buddha booth, they were grateful for the opportunity to connect with four to five hundred people and help them understand how the external act of bathing the Buddha symbolizes cleansing one’s inner mind. Many Western participants made vows in English to practice the Three Acts of Goodness and expressed great joy and agreement, feeling that the event was deeply meaningful. Hearing such feedback brought immense comfort and made all the hard work worthwhile.

At the 2026 Fiesta Asia Street Fair on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., the wishing tree attracted many participants to write down their wishes, with many praying for world peace. (Photo by Xu Bai-Hua)

The event transcended religious and cultural boundaries and deeply touched many people from various backgrounds. Participant Ni Jia-Wen, a Christian, shared that by participating in the Bathing Buddha ceremony with a spirit of respect and inclusiveness, he profoundly realized that all religions fundamentally encourage people to do good and guide them away from suffering toward happiness. He also expressed gratitude to Fo Guang Shan for bringing compassion, wisdom, and warmth to Washington, D.C. Meanwhile, Dr. Li Chao-Xia from Beijing Medical University, who has been in the United States for two years, said that through the event she learned for the first time that bathing the Buddha involves pouring fragrant water over the image of Prince Siddhartha, symbolizing the cleansing of inner afflictions and purification of body and mind. This gave her a completely new understanding of the spirit of Buddhist practice.

During the event, the weather was sunny and pleasant, and many families enjoyed the gentle spring breeze while strolling through the historic streets. BLIA Young Adult Division (YAD) members, including Kevin and other YAD volunteers, cheerfully welcomed participants to the prize wheel activities throughout the event, even as the intense sun reddened their arms. Their joyful service spirit and teamwork fully demonstrated the collective creativity and dedication of Fo Guang members, allowing the seeds of kindness and beauty in Humanistic Buddhism to shine brightly in Washington, D.C.