80 Overseas Students Complete 50-Km Ride with Soochow President

On May 25^th, nearly 80 overseas students of Soochow University pedaled with SCU President Wei-Ta Pan on a 50-kilometer-long bike ride along Tamsui River. Through this activity, Pan hoped the overseas students would experience the vitality and warmth of the University.

Also riding along were Vice President Bau-Tscheng Dung, Dean of Office of International and Cross-Strait Academic Exchange Shi-He Wang, Director of International Affairs Center Fu-Sheng Shi, Director of Cross-Strait Affairs Center Yu-Mei Wang, a visiting scholar De-He Wang from China, professor Si-Yi Tu from Guangdong University of Finance & Economics and professor Jing-Jing Chen from Fuzhou University.

In the morning, more than a hundred bicycles lined up at the Waishuangsi campus, getting ready for the exciting journey. With the bright sunshine symbolizing the enthusiasm of all participants, the ride began after the safety reminders and encouragement given by President Pan and the Director of Office of Military Instruction Ying-Qin Gao.

 They started out from Waishuangsi campus, passing through many scenic spots such as Fortress San Domingo, Guandu Temple, Mangrove Forest, and so on. They savored the beautiful scenery along the river before taking a half-way rest and feasting on seafood for lunch at Tamsui Fisherman's Wharf and enjoying entertaining shows prepared by the Office of International and Cross-Strait Academic Exchange (ICAE).

With sufficient rest and replete mental and physical strength, the return trip went much faster. Despite the demanding process of long cycling, many participating students expressed satisfaction with the tour as they experienced the beauty of Taiwan’s scenery, culture and cuisine.

Not only was this event good for the health of all participants, but it was also a trip that the overseas students would remember for a long time. The ICAE had also issued the "Certificate of Ride Completion" to the students who have finished the whole journey. The success of the event must be attributed to the joint effort by the ICAE, the Office of Military Instruction, Environmental Safety, Sanitation, and General Management Division, the Health and Counseling Center, the Student Housing Center, as well as numerous student volunteers.