The organizers of Telus TaiwanFest will shine a spotlight on the similar histories of indigenous peoples in Canada and on the island nation previously known as Formosa.

At a news conference at the CBC building in Vancouver, Charlie Wu of the Asian-Canadian Special Events Association announced that his group will work with Reconciliation Canada to promote greater understanding of the First Nations experiences in both countries.

It's just one part of the annual Labour Day weekend festival offering a smorgasbord of food, arts, music, films, food, and lectures. Much of the action will take place on the plaza of the Vancouver Art Gallery.

For the younger crowd, the headliner will be Taiwanese singing sensation Rachel Liang, also known as Princess Balenge, who came first in the Star Avenue competition on Taiwanese television.

"Like many young stars today, she also took the path of Idol search shows, like Canadian Idol, in Taiwan to reach her stardom today," Wu said at the news conference.

He added that Fairchild Television's New Talent Singing Award winners Derek Chiu, Byron Cheung, Crystal Leung, and Dionne Phillips will also perform.

The awards were created in the 1990s to offer singers living in Canada a chance to advance to the International New Talent Singing Awards hosted by Hong Kong–based TVB. From there, they could become huge stars in Asia.

Wu also revealed that Vancouver Metropolitan Orchestra and its music director, Ken Hsieh, will collaborate with the indigenous Amis KaKeng Musical Group—a percussion band from Taiwan—to perform traditional Taiwanese aboriginal songs.

In addition, the Lang Hsin Band will make its first visit outside of Taiwan for the festival, bringing its combination of indigenous pop, hip-hop, rock, and folk music to Vancouver. Like Amis KaKeng Musical Group, the Lang Hsin Band also showcases Taiwan's aboriginal heritage.

Two years ago, Taiwanese indigenous activist Jolan Hsieh told the Straight at a previous Telus TaiwanFest that there are two dozen different aboriginal groups in her country. They comprise 2.2 percent of the population of 23 million and are accorded seats in the national legislature. She said that like Canadian First Nations, they have endured a great deal of discrimination.

This year's festival will also feature a lecture by Taiwanese poet, writer, and painter Chiang Hsun. The academic and former editor-in-chief of the magazine Lion Art is keenly interested in connections between art, the human body, and emotions.

In recent years, Telus TaiwanFest has made a name for itself with its food offerings. And this year is no different, with appearances by former Torontonians Christine Liu and Stephen Aspinall, who have introduced the farm-to-table concept in Taiwan. Last year, Liu was featured in a Georgia Straight cover story.

Telus TaiwanFest will also highlight celebrated Taiwanese chefs Cheng-Chung Chen and Ching Yung Chen, who both specialize in seafood dishes. It fits with the festival's theme, "Children of the Ocean".

One of Telus TaiwanFest's major partners, the Tzu Chi Foundation Canada, will provide numerous volunteers at 75 stations to ensure the streets will be kept clean throughout the event.

At the news conference, the foundation's vice-CEO, Mac Miao, explained that Tzu means "compassion", and Chi means "relief".

Miao noted that the Buddhist charity, which was founded by Master Cheng Yen, has more than 10 million volunteers worldwide and provides humanitarian services in more than 50 countries.

Of course, no Telus TaiwanFest would be complete without the popular "Survey Said" game, which sets off teams competing for greater knowledge of other cultures. In the past, broadcaster Peggy Yu has served as the host, delighting festivalgoers with her amusing and occasionally outrageous banter.