On the morning of January 6 at 11:00 a.m., the Office of General Affairs held a Cherry Blossom Donation Ceremony in front of the Gallery of Tamkang History. Andy Chen, a Golden Eagle alumnus of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering and Chairman of Hanco International Co., Ltd., donated 140 Fuji cherry trees to Tamkang University. The trees will be planted around the Gallery, the Maritime Museum, and the College of Foreign Languages building. President Huan-Chao Keh, Chairperson Flora Chia-I Chang, the three Vice Presidents, Hui-Huang Hsu, Chun-Hung Lin, and Hsiao-Chuan Chen, along with Tamkang University Departmental Alumni Association Headquarters President Samuel Su, founding president Jui-Lung Sun, alumni of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, and first- and second-level administrators and staff were present at the ceremony.

In his remarks, President Keh expressed sincere gratitude to Andy Chen for his long-standing support of his alma mater. In addition to previous donations that helped establish research centers in the College of Engineering and improve the surrounding environment of the University Commons, Chen has now donated cherry trees, symbols of depth, culture, and elegance. President Keh noted that during Tamkang University’s 50th anniversary, cherry blossoms were chosen as the school flower through an online vote. With this donation, the campus will soon feature a truly representative cherry blossom landscape. He looked forward to the blossoms reaching full bloom in three years, when faculty, staff, and students can all enjoy the beautiful scenery together.

Chairperson Chang remarked that, in addition to promoting the University’s Triple Objectives of Education, Tamkang also advances a “Fourth Objective”—the gardenization of the campus. She pointed out that the campus features a wide variety of flowers and that the annual Spring Feast held each March invites alumni to return and enjoy the blooms, forming a distinctive campus tradition. Although cherry blossoms were selected as the school flower more than 25 years ago, their rarity has made them all the more precious. She extended special thanks to Chen for his generous donation and expressed hope that, when the cherry trees are in full bloom, faculty and students will be able to sit on the grass and experience the unique charm of “cherry blossom culture.”

Andy Chen shared that he has recently engaged in frequent discussions with the administrators of Tamkang University on how to strengthen the institution’s resilience and competitiveness further. He expressed deep admiration for the University community's dedication and affirmed that, as an alumnus, he is willing to do his utmost to support his alma mater. Regarding the cherry blossom donation, he thanked the President and Chairperson for their encouragement and also expressed special appreciation to his classmate Jui-Lung Sun for sharing expertise on cherry blossoms. He believes that the cherry blossom landscape will enhance the overall image of the campus and bring positive benefits to student recruitment.

The ceremony concluded with President Keh, Chairperson Chang, the three Vice Presidents, and Andy Chen jointly lifting shovels to place soil, completing the tree-planting ritual, symbolizing the planting of gentle colors and hopeful expectations for Tamkang University’s future.