{"id":156,"date":"2018-06-03T22:19:51","date_gmt":"2018-06-04T02:19:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rockvillesistercities.org\/wp\/?page_id=156"},"modified":"2026-01-22T01:36:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T06:36:35","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.rockvillesistercities.org\/wp\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\t\n\t\n\t

Rockville Sister Cities Corporation<\/strong><\/h1>\n

WELCOME!\u00a0WILLKOMMEN ! \u6b61\u8fce! \u6b22\u8fce (huan ying)!<\/h2>\n

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.<\/h6>\n\t

News<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\"Event\n\t\n

 <\/p>\n\t

2025<\/h1>\n

RSCC’s signature accomplishments for 2025 was hosting a Clarinet Ensemble from the Pinneberg Musicschule over Memorial Day week.\u00a0 Then a official Rockville delegation visit to Pinneberg for their 150th Anniversary of incorporation as a German city in early September.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Also the year included a grand Bubble Tea Festival, setting a new record for attendance (15,000).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Glenview\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"20250523_200454\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n

The Pinneberg Musicschule Clarinet Ensemble was six young adult musicians playing a range of clarinets as a chamber ensemble.\u00a0 They visited over Memorial Day Weekend.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 This was a great visit.<\/p>\n

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).<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Pinne\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"15_1\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n

Pinneberg celebrated their 150th anniversary of incorporation as a German city in early September.\u00a0 RSCC sent a delegation of the Mayor and a Conccilmember, and two RSC officers to represent our sister city realtionship at such a passage.\u00a0 The group was feted by the Burgermeister and the city at large, plus site seeing in Hamburg.\u00a0 And the Rockvillians participated in the anniversary ceremony plus evening music festival.\u00a0 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.).\u00a0 The top image is the logo for the 150th anniversary of Pinneberg.<\/p>\n\t

2024<\/h1>\n

RSCC’s signature accomplishments for 2024 was conducting a pair of student exchanges with our sister cities (our firsts post-COVID).\u00a0 We sent Rockville music students to perform in Pinneberg, Germany, and hosted Yilan City, Taiwan\u00a0 dance students here in Rockville.\u00a0 Each for a large cultural festival in the host cities.<\/p>\nOur 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.\u00a0 [See the Activities page for more information.]\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Click\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tClick on logos for information\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Bubble\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n

Two interlocking recent events were smashing successes.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Great vendor booths, food (of course bubble tea itself), and cultural activities flourished, plus full day schedule of performances and speeches by dignitaries.\u00a0 Among those performances were the Fu Shing dancers (winners of the 2022 & 2023 all Taiwan dance competition), students visiting from September 19-27.\u00a0 A full itinerary of educational and tourist visits, performances and American culture occurred.\u00a0 This interaction on both ends of visitors and hosts will be remembered a long time.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"Click\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\tClick on logos for information\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"RM\n\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\n

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.\u00a0 The student group were our first post-COVID sending of students to our sister cities.\u00a0 They were welcome warmly, highlighted in the Festival opening ceremony and covered by the local newspaper.\u00a0 The group also performed at the Speildenburgplatz venue in Hamburg, and visited sites in greater Hamburg and an excursion trip to Berlin.\u00a0 All of the participants returned with a life-awareness of travel to another culture and new connections.<\/p>\n\t\n\t

Germ<\/strong>an-<\/strong>American Recipe Book<\/h2>\n

RSCC is delighted to present a German-American Recipe Book.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Dir. Allison Chang led this project and edited the cookbook.\u00a0 She did outstanding work, professional quality.<\/p>\n

The cookbook is released electronically, via the link below.<\/p>\n\n\t

Link to page about the recipe book<\/a><\/h1>\n\t

Brief History Slide Shows …<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/h2>\n