Upcoming Activities (in green)
Pinneberg Clarinet Ensemble in Rockville, late May
In the days around Memorial Day Weekend, musicians from the Pinneberg Clarinet Ensemble will visit in Rockville, hosted by RSCC. They will hold two public performances in town: 1) a chamber concert at Glenview Mansion on Fri., May 23, in the evening (see below), and 2) at Hometown Holiday at noon on Sat., May 24, on the Town Center Plaza stage. They will also be with us for the Memorial Day Ceremony and greater DC touring.
If you are interested in participating with these visitors send email to the central RSCC account (see Contacts page). We particularly need hosts for accommodations. The musicians are post-collegiate young people.
Past Activities (in blue)
2025 Rockville Lantern Festival
Feb. 15, 1:00 - 4:00pm at the TECRo Cultural Arts Center
The 2025 Lantern Festival to celebrate the close of the Asian New Years time was held on Feb. 15, 2025, at the TECRO Cultural Arts Center. Many Taiwanese cultural and organization tables greeted visitors in the lobby. Then a full show of performances was staged in the auditorium. A grand event was experienced by all.
2024 Bubble Tea Festival in Rockville
The 2024 rendition of the Bubble Tea Festival was a great success. With perfect weather this year, an estimated 12,000 attendees (from throughout the mid-Atlantic region) enjoyed a day of cultural celebration in Town Center. This attendance makes this the largest such event in the country and in Town Center. Great food (and of course, Bubble Tea), activity and cultural booths fed and interested visitors. A full day of stage performances also entertained. National, state, local and Taiwanese dignitaries regaled the crowd
RSCC thanks our co-sponsors Taiwan Sister Cities, the City and community of Rockville, participating businesses and organizations, performers, volunteers, and attendees.
Fu Shing Jr. HS Dance Students in Rockville
September 18-26, from Yilan City
RSCC hosted dance students from Fu Shing Jr. HS in Yilan City, for a week long visit and performing at the Bubble Tea Festival, plus further performances. The Fu Shing students have won the national dance competition in Taiwan for the last two years and gave rousing performances here. Then in hosting RSCC treated the visitors to many sites of Rockville and greater DC for a memorable visit.
Click here for link to video of performance at the Baltimore School of Arts (recommendation: see whole ensemble piece starting near minute 37:00)
RMHS Jazz Band plays in Pinneberg Jazz Festival
August 5-12, in Pinneberg, Germany
RSCC sponsored the Richard Montgomery HS Jazz Band to play in the 2024 Pinneberg Jazz Festival, in our German sister city. They also visited in greater Hamburg (inclusdng another performance in the Speildenburgplatz) and a day excursion to Berlin.
RSCC, DAGRP & friends,
to tropical islands!
RSCC and our sister cities took a joint cruise to Bermuda and the Bahamas, departing the port of Baltimore on June 27, for ten days on Royal Carribean Cruise Lines. A good time was had by participants.
Cameroon and Nigerian Officials Visit Rockville
RSCC in conjunction with the City of Rockville, REDI, MC and businesses host a group visiting from Cameroon and Nigerian.
July 9, 2024, 9:00-3:00
RSCC in the Memorial Day Ceremony
RSCC Pres., David Hill laid a memorial wreath in the Memorial Day Ceremony. This tradition dates back to 1957 and Burgermeister Glissman's original action. (Unfortunately, the parade was cancelled due to dverse weather.)
Town Center Plaza
City of Rockville proclaims on May 6:
Taiwan-American Hertiage Week
DC Taiwanese School, graduating senior, Elizabeth Tang, will receive the proclamation, along with Principal & RSCC Director David Tang, and RSCC Pres. David Hill
The City regularly proclaims this second week of May so, in recognition of its Taiwanese-American citizens and our Sister City relationship with Yilan City, Taiwan.
TECRO screened the movie BIG
by Taiwanese Director Wei Te-shing, on March 23. RSCC also hosted Dir. Wei for a tour of our City.
This is a great movie. The topic is a pediatric oncology ward; a fraught subject. It is poignant; you will laugh, cry, and reflect. Overall, this is a border-less film about the human experience, powerful and thoughtful.. See it if you can.
[In Mandarin, with English subtitles.]
Click for movie trailer
DAGRP 40th Anniversary
RSCC's sister city corporation in Pinneberg, Germany celebrated it's 40th anniversary on FEb. 25, with a gala event. Rockville and RSCC were represented by former Mayor Steve van Grack and RSCC President Emeritus Drew Powell. Thank you for making the trip and representing us so well. Congratulations to DAGRP in our sister city for their years of friendship. They innovated the citizen corporation concept, and RSCC followed, being founded two years later.
(l to r) U.S. Consul General Hamburg Jason Chue; former Rockville Mayor Steven van Grack; Pinneberg Burgermeister Thomas Voerste; RSCC President Emeritus Drew Powell; DAGRP Vice President Cristian Jessen-Klingenberg
Experience a Taiwanese Night Market here in the Washington DC area!
(Come hungry, buy vended food and drinks)
TAAGWC Night Market (picnic)
Sept. 9, 2023, 11:30a - 3:00p
901 Wind River Lane, Gaithersburg
RSCC @TAAGWC Thanksgiving Luncheon
RSCC officers/directors enjoyed a generous invite to the annual thanksgiving luncheon of the Taiwanese Assoc. of America, Greater Washington Council, on Nov. 12.
Dir. Kuan Lee was event emcee, Dir. David Tang is a member. Pres. Drew Powell, Sec. Steven Fisher, and Dirs. Xi Chen, David Hill, and Liz Von Kaenel were guests.
String quartet prelude
TECRO Rep. Bi-Khim Hsiao speaks
Senator Chris Van Hollen speaks [RSCC table right]
Taiwanese music with modern instruments
RSCC Medical Gloves and Instruments Donation Received in Cote d'Ivoire
Early in 2022, RSCC started a drive to donate medical gloves to a hospital in Cote d'Ivoire with great need (see original posting below). That glove donation, along with a bag of medical instruments has arrived and staff there express their gratitude.
RSCC Pinneberg Committee Chair, Dir. Hannelore Quigley addresses gathering.
German-American Day Picnic, 2022
October 9, Woodley Gardens Park Pavillion
On a blustery Sunday, we gathered to celebrate our German Sister City and the German immigrant heritage of the USA, loosely on official German-American Day. Great German-themed picnic food and camaraderie also shared.
2022 Rockville-Taiwan Bubble Tea Festival
September 24, Town Square Plaza
On a beautiful autumn day, approx. 7,000 attendees enjoyed this year's festival. Kudos to the RSCC Yilan Committee, chaired by Kuan Lee, and other event partners for staging this hugely successful event.
RSCC Dir. Max Wappel emceed. [Background: Rep. Hsiao, RSCC Pres. Powell, City Council Member Ashton]
A special recognition was given to RSCC's own Drew Powell (Pres.). For his work in cementing the Rockville-Yilan Sister City relationship and further friendship. He was awarded an honorary citizenship to Yilan City. [at right] He is accepting a key to their city.
This link is a virtual speech by Yilan City Mayor Chiang for the occasion. [mp4 format, spoken in Mandarin with subtitles]
RSCC Pres. Drew Powell receives honorary Yilan citizenship from Rep. Bi-Khim Hsiao and Dr. Hung-bin Ding
Membership Appreciation Wine Tasting, June 9, Glenview Mansion
This year's Membership Appreciation Wine Tasting Event featured wines from Germany, and Maryland's own Links Bridge Winery. RSCC Board Members, RSCC Members, and guests mingled, sipped wine and ate light food. [Kudos to Dirs. Hannelore Quigley and Liz von Kaenel, and the Events Committee for creating this event.]
Freiwillige Feuerwehr Pinneberg besucht Rockville
Pinneberg Volunteer Fire Brigade visits Rockville
Members of the Pinneberg Fire Brigade visited our own Rockville Volunteer Fire Department from May 27 – June 5, 2022. Both sister cities have largely volunteer fire services that have shared a history of visiting each other. The Pinneberg Brigade visited this year to honor the 100th anniversary of the RVFD and simply revive this exchange connection after COVID times.
Commemorating the 33rd Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre
On June 4, 1989, tanks and soldiers were ordered into Tiananmen Square to disperse peaceful demonstrations calling for democracy, human rights, and an end to rampant corruption. At least ten thousand civilians and students were estimated to have lost their lives or have been injured. Many people, especially the victims’ families, still grieve for their loved ones. Courageous groups, like the Tiananmen Mothers, have never stopped seeking accountability, despite great personal risk. Meanwhile, suppression of free speech and further human rights violations continue, often persecuting target populations, including Christians, Tibetans, Falun Gong, Uyghur Muslims, and Mongolians.
Even today, we recognize the heroic efforts of those who lost their lives, fighting for democracy, self -determination and human rights. On June 4, 2022, between 11 AM and 1 PM, we will gather together in the Rockville Town Square (Rockville, Maryland) to honor this historic protest of thirty-three years ago. Tiananmen Square protestors’ exemplary courage serves as inspiration to a further calling for freedom and democracy around the world, beginning with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of communism in Eastern Europe in the months that followed the Tiananmen Massacre. The spirit of Tiananmen’s protestors’ bravery echoes even now as many stand up to repression and tyranny in Ukraine. We welcome people from all ethnic and cultural backgrounds to join us in the celebration of the pursuit of freedom.
RSCC and Memorial Day Events, May 27 - 30, 2022
(l to r) Dir. Liz von Kaenal, Sec. Steve Fisher, Pres. Drew Powell, Brandmeister (Fire Chief) Claus Köster, Dir. & Pinneberg Comm. Chair Hannelore Quigley.
TCC Concert: Emcees Kaitlyn Chuang & Finna Hsu (left). A trombone solo, Joyce Hsu, with piano accompaniment, Wan-Chi Su (right) among a number of fine musical performances.
RSCC kept a busy Memorial Day schedule participating in:
- Fri., welcoming reception for the Pinneberg Fire Brigade in their exchange visit with the Rockville Vol. Fire Dept.
- Sat. & Sun., RSCC hosted an organization table a the Home Town Holiday Festival, this year at Redgate Park.
- Sat., RSCC Dirs. were guests at the Taiwan Cultural Center of DC, annual performance concert, at Montgomery College.
- Mon., RSCC:
- Laid a commemorative wreath, on behalf of our sister city, Pinneberg, Germany (a tradition since 1957) in the official Rockville Memorial Day Ceremony.
- Marched a contingent in the Memorial Day Parade, including students from the Formosa Assoc. of Student Cultural Ambassadors (FASCA)
Presentation of the annual Sister City Pinneberg remembrance wreath at the municipal Memorial Day Ceremony, by Dir. David Hill. [Done annually since Bürgermeister Glissman presented the first wreath in 1957.]
RSCC Memorial Day Parade contingent, led by officers in a convertible Jeep, courtesy of Fitzgerald Auto Mall (thank you!). Followed by Yilan City banner, sister city flags and students from FASCA.
Rockville Lantern Festival, Feb. 11, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theater
The RSCC Jiaxing Committee hosted a very successful 3rd Rockville Lantern Festival this year. Event held at the City Fitzgerald Theater on January 11. Asian cultural performances showcased in the theater, while information, activity and food tables filled the lobby and downstairs social hall.
Calligraphy and paper folding activity tables, in the social hall
![Sidney Katz [Mont. Co. Councilmember, Dist. 3], Marc Elrich [Mont. Co., Co. Executive], Drew Powell [Pres., RSCC]; Max Wappel & Xi Chen [event emcees]](http://www.rockvillesistercities.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Lantern-festival-group.jpg "Lantern festival group")
Sidney Katz [Mont. Co. Councilmember, Dist. 3], Marc Elrich [Mont. Co., Co. Executive], Drew Powell [Pres., RSCC]; Max Wappel & Xi Chen [event emcees]
History of RSCC, Glenview Series Lecture, Jan. 13
As the January (2022) installment of the Glenview Series Lecture, RSCC directors presented on the history of the RSCC. [These lectures usually presented at Glenwood Mansion, held jointly by Peerless Rockville and the City of Rockville of assorted civic and local history topics.] This RSCC lecture had three portions: Pres. Drew Powell introduced the Sister City concept and its founding by the Eisenhower Administration in the U.S., Dir. David Hill described the local history of RSCC, and Dir. Hannelore Quigley summarized the history of our Sister Cities and spoke to her personal experiences as a student and adult member and with cultural exchanges. This lecture was presented online. Click here to review the presentation slides for the history portion of this lecture. (pdf format)
Click here for recording of this lecture. [A very large mp4 file, runs 1 hr 8 mins.]
German-American Recipe Book
As a creative project since the COVID pandemic outbreak, RSCC and DAGRP (the Pinneberg Sister City org.) undertook a joint cross-cultural exchange project to make a German-American recipe book. Click here for more information and access to the online book.
Artwork Celebration and a Contest, Welsh Park, Nov. 8
In 1990, Rockville held a competition for a piece of public art from a Pinneberg artist. Artist Gabriele Schmidt-Heins won and installed the sculpture “On Site” in Welsh Park (near the corner of Mannakee St. and Martin’s Lane) the following year. The artwork is symbolic of the Dingstatte open air law court that led to the founding of the town of Pinneberg. In this thirtieth year anniversary, the artwork was cleaned, re-signed, and we held a re-celebratory ceremony in Nov. In addition, the Pinneberg Committee held a children’s art contest of portrayals of the sculpture. These were on display at the Rockville Science Center, judged and educational monetary prizes given.
Artist Gabriele Schmidt-Heins and former Mayor Dick Hovsepian, “On Site” for the artwork construction.
Mayor Newton and Pinneberg Chair, Dir. Hannelore Quigley present contest awards.
A Generous Helping Hand from Yilan City
Mayor Newton and Council Member Ashton, with TECRO representatives receive the PPE shipment in front of City Hall.
Early in the Covid outbreak, we ran out of PPE in our local area. When Yilan City heard of this, they generously sent a gift of $70,000 worth of masks and gloves to the City of Rockville. This was received by City officials and distributed to first responders in the City. Thank you Yilan City and the Taiwanese representatives that made this possible.
Making things Official with Pinneberg, Many Years Later
Rockville and Pinneberg became Sister Cities in 1957 by Resolutions passed in each City. This ostensibly pre-dated the protocols of Sister City Intl., since implemented. It occurred to the Sister City groups last year, that this had never happened. So we fixed it this fall. By a live virtual meeting, the Mayors of both cities signed such a conforming protocol agreement, 63 years later. This by no means erases our great relationship earlier, just puts the future on full footing.
