The “Mountaineering Club” at Chung Yuan Christian University in Taoyuan City has a 50-year history, with nearly a thousand members across its generations. Lin Ting-fang, former president of the club’s 8th generation and founding president of the Camel Mountaineering Club, as well as chairman of the Chi Mei Group, said that promoting a healthy sports culture is very important. The Camel Mountaineering Club will hold a major gathering on Yangmingshan on October 1, and he also called on juniors from the mountaineering club to join in the event.
“Too many leaders of Taiwanese schools usually regard it merely as a student club activity, thinking of it as children's play!” Lin Ting-fang said. He entered the Department of Civil Engineering at Chung Yuan Christian University (then the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at Chung Yuan Institute of Technology) in 1975. During his four years in university, in addition to studying diligently, he focused on sports and mountaineering. He was also a ski athlete for the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, USA.
After graduating from Chung Yuan Christian University, Lin Ting-fang worked hard to build his career and is now the president of two well-known domestic construction companies: San Lien Technology and the Chi Mei Group. In 1991, he founded the “Republic of China Camel Mountaineering Club,” hoping to continuously pass on and promote a healthy sports culture, safe mountaineering concepts, and a rigorous rescue system, contributing to society through these values.
The annual gathering of the Camel Mountaineering Club, which has been held for nearly 20 years, will take place this year on October 1 on Yangmingshan. While registering, Lin Ting-fang also called on more juniors from the Chung Yuan mountaineering club to join in the event.
Chung Yuan Christian University noted that as an outstanding alumnus of the university, Lin Ting-fang frequently donates valuable industry resources and equipment back to his alma mater. But the most precious legacy is the camaraderie among the nearly thousand alumni of the mountaineering club—such as the major gatherings, the establishment of a safety center, and the training system where seniors guide juniors. As a result, Lin Ting-fang expanded a student club activity into a nationwide organization. He also hopes that this fine tradition can be carried on through the club, continuing between alumni and the university.
Lin Ting-fang said that only a long-established private university has the opportunity to nurture exemplary student activity groups and cultivate talents willing to contribute to society and the nation. He also expressed his hope that the mountaineering club will strive to become a model for clubs at Chung Yuan Christian University, as well as for student clubs at universities across Taiwan.