Pakistan, May 4 -- The sound of dhol could be heard before the gates of the Pakistan Embassy came into view, cutting through the usual quiet of International Drive as thousands of visitors poured into Washington's diplomatic enclave on Saturday for the annual Passport DC "Around the World Embassy Tour."

By noon, the street had the bustle of a fairground. Families with children, students with souvenir passports, Pakistani-Americans, tourists and Washington residents moved from one mission to another, collecting stamps, tasting unfamiliar food and stopping for photographs wherever colour, music or costume offered a frame.

At the Pakistan Embassy, officials said more than 6,000 visitors passed through during the day-long open house. The mi...