Shao-mo Memorial Gymnasium is about to open. Between the new gymnasium and Building of Liberal Arts are 64-step stairs named by Founder Clement C. P. Chang as “Five-Tiger Hill,” a correlative to Ke-Nan Slope at the front gate of the school symbolizing the continuity of beginning and ending. A “Five-Tiger Statue“ will be erected besides the Five-Tiger Stairs to record the history of Five-Tiger Hill. The opening ceremony will be conducted by Founder Clement C. P. Chang at 1:00 p.m. on 2nd June.

The “ Five-Tiger Hill : A Sketch ” is as follows:

The initiation of Tamkang University started on the Five-Tiger Hill of Tamsui. The Five-Tiger Hill is virtually part of Mt. Tatuen’s range that wriggles downward to Hu-tou Shan (Mt. Tiger’s Head). The ridges being five in number, the hill is thus named the “Five-Tiger Hill”. Its famous landmarks include Huwei Fort, Fort San Domingo, Tsing-shuei-tzu-shi Temple, Tamkang University, and Yin Shan Temple. Tamkang University lies on the fourth ridge, facing Mt. Guanyin (Goddess of Mercy), and overlooking Tamsui River, with a river on the left and an ocean on the right. Situated on such a significant location, the university is like a valiant hero majestically standing upright in the wind on top of a mountain and gazing at the world around.

In 1950, when the nation was in great crisis and the people in deep water, my father, Mr. Chang Ching-sheng, thought deeply that the first priority to help restore the nation during such a critical situation was to educate the people, because education could uplift people and lead them to a more affluent life. Thus the thought of building a university of international standard crossed his mind. By then, the Five-Tiger Hill was still in wilderness infested with weeds and visited only by some shepherd boys and wild egrets. When both the nation and the people were in hard times, the collection of funds for building a school was indeed very difficult; this situation was furthermore aggravated by the fact that in the aftermath of the Nationalist Chinese government’s moving to Taiwan, school teachers were very scarce, and yet the country gentry and the elders were eagerly looking forward to building an institution of higher learning, resulting in an awkward position from which there was no way to withdraw.

In recollection, Tamkang has undergone fifty-five years of history. Born during hard times, Tamkang has been struggling all the way by itself. Not only has it passed through many difficult years but also has finally set itself up as a model for other private institutions to emulate, just as a saying goes: “To develop a wild forest, the pioneers lead a hard life.” Now that in the course of its development, Tamkang has undergone the first wave—the period of “laying the foundation and continuous management” (1950-1980), the second wave—the period of “repositioning and development” (1980-1996), and the third wave—the period of “transforming and uplifting” (1996-2005). From 2005 onward, Tamkang University is marching into the fourth wave—the “thrival” period. We have completed Tamsui Campus as “The City of Intellect”, Taipei Campus as “The Sea of Knowledge Navigator”, Lanyang Campus as “The Garden of Wisdom”, and the Cyber Campus as “The Space of Knowledge Explorer”. Though situated in four different places, the four campuses are mutually integrated and inter-dependent, so it’s our hope that in the same single Academic Kingdom; the British Oxbridge style residential education, the U.S. practical style education, and the Chinese all-round style education can create a better future through mutual discussion, study, and improvement.

Tigers are known as mighty fierce beasts; an ancient Chinese saying goes: “The roar of a tiger can create a gust of wind in the air; the rise of a dragon can create clouds in the sky. Similarly, great men of all ages must struggle in order to succeed.” Our students, since their first day of climbing up the university’s “Overcoming Difficulties Slope” and then entering the campus, have experienced five kinds of education—virtuosity, intelligence, athletics, teamwork, and fine arts. So upon graduation, they are already full-grown like a tiger equipped with a couple of wings soaring high into the sky from the Five-Tiger Hill. The “Five-Tiger Hill Literary Award”, which is awarded to the winner in the campus-wide creative literary composition competition sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts, is named in accordance with the spirit embedded in this ancient saying. It is also most fit and suitable to use this ancient saying to compliment the academic researches made by Tamkang faculty and students, and the pioneering spirit of Tamkang alumni. Living in the present and recollecting the past, we must think of its fountainhead when drinking water; and the “Five-Tiger Hill”, as a matter of fact, is the living fountainhead of Tamkang University.

Clement C. P. Chang

Founder of Tamkang University

June 2, 2006

(contributed by Board of trustees)