The Most Beautiful Dream: 117 Cycling around Taiwan

Soochow University held the fifth “The Third Milestone of Soochow University: Facing the Challenge Together,” an annual event where more than one hundred bicycle riders cycle around Taiwan. This year 117 riders left the campus on March 25^th, 2017, cycled around Taiwan counterclockwise, and successfully returned to the campus on April 5^th.

Riders joining the fifth “The Third Milestone of Soochow University: Facing the Challenge Together” had love as their core value, promoting public welfare along their trip. Their slogan “Cycling with Love” reminded them to gain a deeper understanding of Taiwan and help those in need. 

The fifth “The Third Milestone of Soochow University: Facing the Challenge Together” was organized by the Community and Interpersonal Relationship Development Center, with the help of 15 students. They started planning the cycling-around-Taiwan trip half a year in advance. Without them, the trip could not have been successful. During the trip, President Pan, Wei-Ta and the Dean of Student Affairs, Chang, Yung-Cheng came join the riders in Yilan and Hualien respectively, bringing gifts and meals to encourage the student riders.

The routes of the cycling-around-Taiwan trip were planned by Worldman Ecological Preservation, which had cooperated many times with Soochow University. They did a great job training and taking care of the riders this year. A staff member from the Moral and Civil Education Center, Wu, Yu-Ting, pointed out, “Soochow University has cooperated with Worldman Ecological Preservation for 5 years, and we have developed rapport and teamwork.” Wu also expressed gratitude to Professor Li, Kun-zhang from the Department of Accounting, who accompanied the riders throughout the whole trip and helped make sure that they returned to the campus safe and sound.

Serving as the first female coordinator for the cycling-around-Taiwan trip, Teng, Xin-Tian, a senior from the Department of Sociology appreciated the opportunity Soochow University gave her to organize the trip and help make the riders’ dream come true.

The 117 riders returned to Soochow University on the evening of April 5^th and had a celebration dinner party. The Dean of Student Affairs, Chang, Yung-Cheng started the party by opening a bottle of champagne and staff members performed 3 dances for the riders. In the end, staff members played a documentary on the fifth “The Third Milestone of Soochow University: Facing the Challenge Together” and performed a sign language song, bringing the cycling-around-Taiwan trip to a perfect ending.