On May 5, the Office of International and Cross-Strait Affairs held the annual Spring Cultural Trip: an organized outing that allows Tamkang’s foreign and Mainland students to discover Taiwan’s cultural diversity in more depth. This year’s Spring Cultural Trip has been divided into two sessions; one on May 5 and the other on May 19. On May 5, 60 students set off for Yilan, in Northeast Taiwan, where they took part in a number of fun activities. The TKU Vice President for International and Cross-Strait Affairs, Dr. Wan-Chin Tai, who took part from start to finish, commented: “for this year’s trip, we’ve placed more of an emphasis on the cultural aspect. There are also many local Taiwanese students taking part this year. We hope this allows for local and overseas students to mix and become better acquainted.”

The first stop on the itinerary was the Dong-shan River Agricultural Park, where students got to ride in a solar-powered boat and appreciate the beauty of the local scenery. They then rode bicycles around the Yilan Flatlands, viewed the lifestyle of local aboriginal tribes at Kavalan Country, and explored Hedecanan Old Street. This was followed by a visit to the Lanyang Museum, which displays the process of Yilan’s cultural and social development. First year student, Yao Hong, from Fujian, China, said: “the museum allowed me to see just how rich local Yilan culture is. In the future, I want to come back to Yilan for another visit!”