A Taiwanese cultural festival featuring “crossover” multi-faceted arts, music and culture will be held in the Canadian cities of Vancouver and Toronto from the end of next month through the beginning of September.
The event, titled “2010 TELUS TAIWANfest” is being organized by the Taipei Cultural Center in New York and the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association.
Council for Cultural Affairs Minister Emile Sheng (盛治仁) on Thursday described the event as one of the most important international festivals to promote Taiwanese culture, adding that the theme “crossover” symbolizes a fearless spirit transcending borders.
The festival will in part highlight 100 years of development of Taiwanese music, with performances by indie bands and singers from Taiwan, as well as Canadians performing “crossover” music. Fashion shows, food exhibitions and traditional folk performances, such as puppet shows and Hakka drama, will also be featured. Another highlight will be a series of events commemorating late Taiwanese singer Teresa Teng (鄧麗君), including stories about Teng and a singing competition in her memory, Sheng said.
Jason Reeve, general relations director at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei expects the event to increase people’s understanding of the two countries.
More than 140,000 people attend the festival each year, according to the association, but with more groups and singers from both countries appearing this year, the number of people attending is expected to grow.
The event will open on Aug. 27 and run through Aug. 29 in Toronto, before moving to Vancouver from Sept. 4 to Sept. 6.
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