Rockville Sister Cities Corporation
WELCOME! WILLKOMMEN ! 歡迎! 欢迎 (huan ying)!
This is the official site of the Rockville Sister Cities Corporation (RSCC) in Rockville, Maryland, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit service organization, with a mission to support local inclusion of Rockville’s diverse cultural communities into the Sister City Program, while facilitating the continuing relationships between the City of Rockville and its Sister Cities worldwide. Those Sister City relationships include, Pinneberg, Germany, which was established in 1957 and Yilan City, Taiwan, which was established in 2019. Rockville’s friendly relations with Jiaxing, China commenced in 2009. Membership in the corporation is open to all those who embrace the spirit of Rockville’s Sister City Program, which includes, mutual understanding, unity through peace and cooperation, as well as the continuation of the Rockville Sister City Corporation.
News
Lantern Festival, Feb. 21, 2026, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater, doors open at 1:00p, stage show starts at 2:00p
2025
RSCC's signature accomplishments for 2025 was hosting a Clarinet Ensemble from the Pinneberg Musicschule over Memorial Day week. Then a official Rockville delegation visit to Pinneberg for their 150th Anniversary of incorporation as a German city in early September.
Also the year included a grand Bubble Tea Festival, setting a new record for attendance (15,000).
2025 Pinneberg Clarinet Ensemble visits and plays in Rockville
The Pinneberg Musicschule Clarinet Ensemble was six young adult musicians playing a range of clarinets as a chamber ensemble. They visited over Memorial Day Weekend. In addition to touring Rockville and seeing sites in DC, they played three concerts as the opening performance of Hometown Holidays; held a music clinic at RMHS, playing alongside student Jazz Ensemble musicians, and performing for further music students; and played for an evening social concert in the conservatory at Glenview Mansion, where the RMHS students again joined for a combined concert. This was a great visit.
The performers were (l to r): Doerte Juedes, Kim Kaehler, Franke Dick, Ann-Kathrin Dittmer, Jesse Ave-Lallemant, Amy Wilckens, with Dirk Gerschler as director (not pictured).
2025 Rockville delegation travels to Pinneberg for their 150th anniversary celebration.
Pinneberg celebrated their 150th anniversary of incorporation as a German city in early September. RSCC sent a delegation of the Mayor and a Conccilmember, and two RSC officers to represent our sister city realtionship at such a passage. The group was feted by the Burgermeister and the city at large, plus site seeing in Hamburg. And the Rockvillians participated in the anniversary ceremony plus evening music festival. Pictured left, on the ceremony stage, holding exchanged gifts are (l to r): John McKenzie (RSCC Treas.), Barry Jackson (Rockville Councilmember), Natalina di Racka (Pinnberg City Council Chair), Monique Ashton (Rockville Mayor), Thomas Voerste (Pinneberg Burgermeister), Mr. Ave-Lallemant (emcee of ceremony), David Hill (RSCC Pres.) and Christian Jessen-Klingenberg (DAGRP Pres.). The top image is the logo for the 150th anniversary of Pinneberg.
2024
RSCC's signature accomplishments for 2024 was conducting a pair of student exchanges with our sister cities (our firsts post-COVID). We sent Rockville music students to perform in Pinneberg, Germany, and hosted Yilan City, Taiwan dance students here in Rockville. Each for a large cultural festival in the host cities.
Our further large events in 2024: Lantern Festival, celebrating DAGRP's 40th Anniversary (in Pinneberg), History of Taiwan Lecture at MC, hosted DAGRP/Pinneberg visitors for a joint cruise, Bubble Tea Festival (co-sponsored with Taiwan Sister Cities) and supported cultural events with the City of Rockville, TECRO, TAAGWC, and the German Consulate. [See the Activities page for more information.]
2024 Bubble Tea Festival and Fu Shing Student Exchange
Two interlocking recent events were smashing successes. The 2024 Bubble Tea Festival in Rockville was September 21, on a beautiful weather day, with 12,000 attendees (Rockville Police estimate), the largest ever. Great vendor booths, food (of course bubble tea itself), and cultural activities flourished, plus full day schedule of performances and speeches by dignitaries. Among those performances were the Fu Shing dancers (winners of the 2022 & 2023 all Taiwan dance competition), students visiting from September 19-27. A full itinerary of educational and tourist visits, performances and American culture occurred. This interaction on both ends of visitors and hosts will be remembered a long time.
2024 Pinneberg Jazz Festival and RMHS Student Exchange
RSCC sponsored Richard Montgomery HS, Jazz Band students to travel to perform in the Pinneberg Jazz Festival, led by RMHS Music Dir. Dr. Peter Perry. The student group were our first post-COVID sending of students to our sister cities. They were welcome warmly, highlighted in the Festival opening ceremony and covered by the local newspaper. The group also performed at the Speildenburgplatz venue in Hamburg, and visited sites in greater Hamburg and an excursion trip to Berlin. All of the participants returned with a life-awareness of travel to another culture and new connections.
Resources
German-American Recipe Book
RSCC is delighted to present a German-American Recipe Book. This was a joint COVID-pandemic project with DAGRP (our Pinneberg Sister City org.) to share foods that bring us comfort during our pandemic shut-in and separation, a virtual way to continue our cultural exchange. Dir. Allison Chang led this project and edited the cookbook. She did outstanding work, professional quality.
The cookbook is released electronically, via the link below.
We thank the DAGRP for their delightful and bountiful contributions.
Brief History Slide Shows ...
... and of our Sister Cities
Learn Mandarin Chinese (Online Classes)
The Washington DC Taiwanese School (WDCTS) is offering online classes in Mandarin Chinese: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Conversational. This is a great way to learn or brush up those language skills. RSCC members are offered a $20 discount. Follow the link of the picture to more information.
Our Sponsors
Gold
Silver
Bronze
Bridget & Fred Newton
Mingo Lin
David Hill
Andrew Powell
Beryl & Edward Feinberg Charitable Fund
