Some Behind the Scene Stories

Cacti and Diamonds

It was not easy to find a theme that would fit the celebratory mood for the 20th anniversary of TELUS TAIWANfest. "Cactus and Diamond" is the product of much soul-searching and brainstorming. Many innovative ideas adopted throughout the 20 years of history of the festival are lonely and still unaccepted like cacti, but as joyful and brilliant as a diamond after being acknowledged.

Spring Breeze

Why does the song "Spring Breeze" bring such a sense of sadness? It's simply because this popular Taiwanese folk song has carried a lot of burdens. It's time that we gave back its joyous nature that embraces hope, and allowed the whole world to witness the optimism of the people of Taiwan who would never shy away from dreaming for their beautiful future.

Kimochi Workshop

Journey in life can be a volatile one, often discovering one's real self in diversities and vice versa. When we first saw these people working at the workshop, we didn’t know what to make of it; should we show our sympathy or explore things to touch our hearts? They looked so ordinary; yet, they were so devoted to what there were doing, full of self-confidence. After listening to their stories, we seemed to have reacquainted ourselves with similar experiences that had happened in our own life before. Let's be thrilled by the world created by these ordinary and, yet, unique people.

Three Kinds of Wedding Banquet

I went to many wedding banquets when I was young, but never had an opportunity to understand the culture behind them from a short distance. Roadside banquets, although neither grand nor extravagant, convey a strong sense of people's close relationship. There are also, of course, wedding banquets held in luxurious restaurants or hotels, but we will showcase an aspect of banquet culture not easily seen in North America. Some local specialties and the unique quality of Hakka cuisine as well as the frugal nature of Hakka people are all our criteria.

Another Experience of Cactus and Diamond

While searching for sponsorship, we experienced all sorts of ups and downs; the global economic recession also made our tasks more difficult. Obviously, not everybody agreed with our interpretation of meanings and rewards of a large scale event; as a result, throughout the whole process, we often felt helpless, sad, deserted, lonely, and even challenged like a cactus. Fortunately, after a great deal of effort put in and countless time spent, we were finally able to obtain enough confirmations to make this diamond-like cultural banquet a GO. We give our salute and gratitude to all those who have supported TAIWANfest whole-heartedly.

Some Regrets of 2009

Even we had intended to present an abundant cultural banquet, but we could not help but bow to cruel reality, not being able to showcase many excellent groups in this years' festival. Our regrets include Wu Fu Elementary School, Music First Cello Ensemble, and the Long Hsin Puppet Troupe. We sincerely hope to have the chance to enjoy their talents in the near future.

The Posters

All creations originate in simple expressions. As the festival has grown, the use of computer-generated visual designs has become a norm and gained praise. However, the theme this year has given our Creative Director, Jessica Sung the opportunity to pick up her beloved paint brushes that have been set aside for so long. This allowed this year's posters to have a new rendition, creating a new combination to kick off a new festival!

Essence of Love

Love is the source of many art works; artists have been relying on the love deep in their hearts to generate energy for their creations. It is love that inspires momentum on a trip; it is love that stirs upheavals in creations; and, it is love that helps discover unique qualities in conflicts. We love Taiwan, and that's why we try to go out of our way to understand Taiwan, to find more of its beauty. True love can not be confined by regulations, interpreted by language, or even measured by monetary means. Most importantly, it does't come quickly and disappear just as fast, like night-blooming cereus. All the best things in the world are from essence of love.