A 2,300-mile trek by Buddhist monks advocating for unity and compassion will soon enter Fairfax County.
The Walk for Peace is currently scheduled to arrive in Lorton at Richmond Highway and Furnace Road on Sunday (Feb. 8) around 8 a.m., according to the Fairfax County Police Department, which will provide an escort for the pilgrimage while it’s in the county’s borders.
The procession of 19 monks will take up all northbound lanes on Richmond Highway (Route 1), requiring a full but temporary closure at Furnace Road, the FCPD said.
They will stop at the Hoa Nghiem Pagoda (9111 Backlick Road) in Fort Belvoir around 10 a.m. for a parade, peace ceremony and lunch before departing on Route 1 around 1 p.m. The route continues north, taking a right onto Sherwood Hall Lane.
A peace prayer service is planned for 6-7 p.m. before the monks rest for the night.
According to the FCPD, the walk will resume Monday morning (Feb. 9) at 7 a.m., moving east on Sherwood Hall Lane to Fort Hunt Road, Morningside Lane and then to the northbound George Washington Memorial Parkway. The monks will walk five miles to the Alexandria city line, when the Alexandria Police Department will take over as their escort.
“Motorists should expect traffic delays and possible temporary closures along the route,” the FCPD said. “Please plan alternate travel routes and allow for extra travel time.”
More from the police department:
For everyone’s safety:
- Do not stop, slow, or park vehicles in the roadway to observe or follow the monks.
- Do not walk in the road or follow behind the monks, as this creates serious traffic hazards.
- Supporters are encouraged to remain in pedestrian-friendly areas and stay out of travel lanes.
- Please follow all instructions from law enforcement and event coordinators.
The Fairfax County Police Department’s priority is to ensure the Walk for Peace can move safely through the community while minimizing traffic hazards. Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Organized by the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center, the Walk for Peace has drawn curious onlookers and crowds of supporters, since it started in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 26, 2025.
“We walk not to protest, but to awaken the peace that already lives within each of us,” Bhikkhu Pannakara, spiritual leader of the Walk for Peace, said in an announcement of the pilgrimage. “The Walk for Peace is a simple yet meaningful reminder that unity and kindness begin within each of us and can radiate outward to families, communities, and society as a whole.”
After passing through Alexandria and Arlington, the walk is on track to reach D.C. next Tuesday (Feb. 10). While in the nation’s capital, “participants hope to deliver a brief message symbolizing healing and renewal,” the press release said.
According to Washingtonian, the monks will advocate for Congress to recognize Vesak, a festival celebrating Buddha’s birthday, as a federal holiday. They will hold a prayer gathering at the Washington National Cathedral starting at 1 p.m. after hosting a private lunch for local monks and nuns.
A peace gathering and closing ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 11 at 2:30 p.m., though the walk will actually continue for another day to the Maryland State Capitol in Annapolis before the monks head back home to Fort Worth, per a confirmed schedule released this afternoon (Friday).
The walk is being streamed live on the Facebook page for the Dhammacetiya, a 14-acre, $200-million development project that the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center has planned for its Fort Worth campus. The procession is currently in Stafford, holding a “peace sharing talk” at their designated rest stop around 6 p.m.
