After SC stop, Buddhist monks complete Walk for Peace in Washington, D.C.
The months-long walk across the country that captivated South Carolinians last month is reaching its end as a procession of Buddhist monks have arrived in Washington, D.C.
About two dozen monks, along with their social media mascot Aloka the Peace Dog, have been traveling on foot since leaving their home temple, the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, in October on a 2,300-mile cross-country Walk for Peace.
The monks spent several days passing through South Carolina in early January, including a stop at the State House that drew thousands to downtown Columbia to see the procession.
On Tuesday, the monks are scheduled to make an appearance at the National Cathedral, and are also expected to make an appearance at the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.
Crowds in the Palmetto State gathered to see the monks at each stop as they crossed the state. The monks gave talks on Buddhism and living a more peaceful life wherever they stopped to eat a vegetarian lunch or to bed down for the night, or well-wishers lined the side of the road as the monks walked past. Often the stops were at small country churches along the route that could be reached within a day from the previous stop.
The monks occasionally drew protests, but also people who had traveled long distances to see the monks, who often described the encounter in deeply personal terms.
The monks walked down Main Street in Lexington on Jan. 9, and the next day led a large crowd over the Gervais Street bridge through the Vista to make a speech from the steps of the State House. The monks then walked up Main Street before stopping at Lutheran Theological Seminary for the night on their way to North Carolina.
The walk has continued even after an incident that occurred before the group had even left Texas. A vehicle escorting the group was struck from behind by a truck while driving near Houston, injuring two of the monks. The more seriously injured of the two had to leave the march, but he reunited with the group in Georgia on the last day of 2025.
The monks have endured the conditions of a Southern winter, especially on the final leg as snowfall and low temperatures have covered many of the areas they passed through. The South Carolina leg of the walk was especially significant for the dog Aloka, who had to stay behind and get surgery on an injured leg at the Charleston Veterinary Referral Center.
The rescue dog, who has built up a social media following all his own, had to leave the trail for a few days to recover in Charleston while the monks walked on, before he was able to meet back up with the monks a few days later.
Aloka should be on hand for the monks’ appearances in Washington, but he should have an easier trip home. After an appearance at the Maryland state capitol, NPR reports that the monks will return to Texas by bus.
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