National Chung Cheng University

Chiayi County boasts several institutions of higher learning, imbued with a strong academic and cultural atmosphere. Among them, National Chung Cheng University stands out as an excellent institution. National Chung Cheng University is a relatively new university, with its predecessor being a sugarcane field. On December 1, 1987 (the 76th year of the Republic of China), the Executive Yuan officially approved this plot of land in Minxiong Township as the site for Chung Cheng University. This land, which once nurtured all living things, then took on the new era's mission of cultivating students. Subsequently, the university successively established five graduate institutes, including Chinese Literature, Applied Mathematics, Social Welfare, Computer Science and Information Engineering, and International Economics. To date, it has become a well-developed university. National Chung Cheng University boasts a vast campus and beautiful architecture. Its most famous attractions on campus are Tranquility Lake (Ningjing Lake) and Ching Garden. Tranquility Lake was originally a deep gully on the south-central side of the campus. According to the campus planning concept of architect Shen Zu-hai, this gully was developed into Tranquility Lake. Spanning the lake is a 20-meter-wide high arch bridge, which serves as the starting point of the campus's north-south landscape axis. Besides providing a transportation link, the sight of the arch bridge gracefully spanning the water is a significant special feature of the university. The lake area is home to waterfowls such as swans and mallards, which have successfully bred on campus. Ching Garden was initiated and constructed through a joint appeal by the faculty and students of Chung Cheng University to commemorate the contributions of the university's founding president, Mr. Lin Ching-Jiang, to the establishment of the university, thus holding significant memorial value. Notably, the garden's plant species are chosen to display seasonal colors, utilizing the existing camphor tree forest to create various landscapes and showcase the beauty of natural ecology. The Central Fountain in the heart of the campus is another distinctive feature, functioning as a timepiece. It spouts beautiful mist for about 15 minutes at the hour and half-hour. The lamp posts around the Central Plaza Fountain also have symbolic meaning: the twelve pillars represent the twelve months of a year and twelve active water sources. The upward-spraying water symbolizes the endless flow of life from top to bottom, making it Chung Cheng University's most meaningful spiritual landmark.