[Chiayi, Taiwan] On October 18, the Physical Education Center and the Division of Student Life of the Office of Student Affairs at National Chung Cheng University (CCU) jointly hosted the "CCU Great Love Kayaking & Frisbee Challenge: Learning Great Love" event at Yue Lake in Datan, Xingang Township, Chiayi County. The event attracted over 100 participants, including local Chiayi residents as well as families and friends traveling from Taoyuan, Taichung, and Tainan, who enjoyed an enriching and educational day of water sports and cultural exploration under pleasant autumn weather.

Integrating General Education with Practice: Conveying the Core Values of Equality and Mutual Love

Curated by Professor Ming-Jie Lin, Director of CCU’s Center for Gender Equality, Mutual Love, and Peace Research, the event engaged students from the Center for General Education course "Practice and Advocacy of Moral and Communication Education" through service learning. Following comprehensive safety briefings, water rescue demonstrations, and paddling instruction led by professional coach Yao-Chih Chiu, participants launched double kayaks and dragon boats from the floating dock at Yue Lake. To ensure a safe and high-quality dragon boat experience, Coaches Yi-Hsing Lin and Yu-Cheng Lin from the Chiayi County Water Recreation Association were also invited to provide expert guidance.

Professor Ming-Jie Lin pointed out that paddling a double kayak required close coordination and harmony between partners; without "loving each other equally" and offering mutual care, navigating the boat smoothly became impossible. He emphasized that the water activity aimed to help participants experience firsthand the significance of equality and mutual love—not only promoting gender equality within households, but also extending equal care between families and society to cultivate a warm, bully-free environment. Through interactive Q&A sessions, Professor Lin engaged the audience on anti-bullying efforts, with participants passionately pledging to "start practicing equality and mutual love in our generation," reflecting a strong shared commitment to social harmony.

Combining Compassionate Communication with Local Cultural Heritage Visits

In addition to the water activities, the event featured a Frisbee challenge designed around "Compassionate Communication" and the "Three Goodnesses" principles (Do Good Deeds, Speak Good Words, Think Good Thoughts). A guided cultural walk was also organized, taking participants to the century-old Jingzhong Temple (honoring Yue Fei, brought from Zhangzhou by the local Lin family) and the historic Lin Tong-Xi Residence (a rare four-section compound combining traditional layout with Baroque architectural elements). This offered attendees a deeper appreciation of Xingang’s rich cultural heritage alongside their athletic experience.

Enthusiastic Feedback from Faculty and Students: Demonstrating Service-Learning and Social Responsibility

Yong-Zhou Chen, Section Chief of the Physical Education Center, expressed appreciation for the public’s enthusiastic response, stating that participants found the activity meaningful and memorable, and expressing hope for continued water sports initiatives in the future.

CCU students participating in service-learning courses also shared rewarding insights. Students managing the Frisbee stations noted how heartwarming it was to see parents and children learning to articulate and care for each other's needs. Meanwhile, students on the registration team highlighted that listening to the professor explain the connection between kayaking and equal love was deeply inspiring. Students unanimously affirmed the value of service-learning courses, describing the opportunity to step outside campus, serve others, and spread great love as an invaluable practical experience during their university journey.