CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Crowds of people lined Route 1 in Chester on Sunday to greet the Buddhist monks who have walked from Texas, with their next stop being Richmond. The 'Walk for Peace' has gained millions of fans on social media who have followed the group of monks' journey from Tex as across six states before arriving in Virginia on Thursday. "It's bringing people together," said Vivien, a resident of Norfolk who drove more than an hour to see the monks in Chester. They arrived in Petersburg Saturday, and after spending the night at Virginia State University (VSU), continued the journey toward their destination of Washington, D.C. "There's strength in numbers, and if it's strength in numbers to bring peace to the world, then let's do it," Vivien said. Organizers say the trek is aimed at promoting unity, national healing and compassion. The 2,300-mile journey started in October 2025, and took the group of about two dozen monks and their rescue dog, Aloka, from the Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas, through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. They made stops in DeWitt and Dinwiddie County at the end of January. "It was really surreal seeing them and really inspiring, actually, especially knowing a lot about their journey to get here," said VSU student Jordyn DeVille. (Photo: Lamaris Prosise)(Photo: Cliff Hitchcock)(Photo: City of Petersburg)(Photo: Whitney Long Photography) "This is going to be a big part of history in the future. I think it's going to be in a museum one day," Deville said. "To be able to say, you know, I was there, I got to see them in person." The monks' peaceful message was what had brought many people out on Sunday. "It's who we are," Mary, who came from Williamsburg, said. "It's really who I view America as, the people that are here." The monks will rest in Chesterfield County near Bellwood on Sunday night, with visiting hours until 8 p.m. and are set to arrive in Richmond on Monday, February 2nd. You can track their journey via multiple maps on their website. ...read more read less