When it comes to the campus of National Chung Cheng University (CCU), Tranquility Lake is one of the features that no one will ever miss. It is not only the place that every student and faculty member has to pass through before and after classes but also the place that tourists often visit. However, due to the severe climate change in recent years, the ecology and environment of Tranquility Lake have been seriously affected and polluted. In response to the environmental problem of the lake, the CCU University Social Responsibility (USR) Bamboo and Bamboo Charcoal Innovation Project established the “CCU USR Bamboo Technology Living Lab of Tranquility Lake”. It was officially unveiled on September 13, 2022. In the future, this living lab is expected to function as a teaching and practicing platform and a base to improve the water quality of the lake and make the scenery of the lake clear and beautiful again with a sustainable, low-carbon-emission way to reduce the environmental impact by using the technology development and experiment results of the CCU USR Project.

The natural environment and architectural design of CCU, voted the most beautiful campus in Taiwan by the internet ballot, have always been the most significant features of the university praised by its students and visitors. Among them, Tranquility Lake is a unique site that embodies the mixture of nature and architecture on the campus. However, maintaining the landscape and surrounding ecology, especially the health of the aquatic animals and the birds inhabiting the lake, is challenging due to its ongoing pollution problems. The CCU USR Bamboo and Bamboo Charcoal Innovation Project pointed out that the avian flu last year, which caused all of the waterfowl culled on the CCU campus, drew a lot of attention to the ecological problem of Tranquility Lake. The fish in the lake that frequently surface to breathe and the overly dark green lake water also show the urgent need to improve the lake’s water quality.

With the support of CCU President Dr. Zhang-Hua Fong and the joint effort of various CCU departments, the university and its Bamboo and Bamboo Charcoal Innovation team have collectively invested more than two million New Taiwan dollars in the establishment of the bamboo technology living lab, constructed on the shore of Tranquility Lake with a bamboo exterior design. The CCU USR Bamboo and Bamboo Charcoal Innovation Project announced that the ecological water purifying equipment developed by the team, such as patented bamboo charcoal products and water quality monitoring systems, has already been introduced in the living lab for teaching and practicing purposes. The lab not only welcomes teachers, students, partner schools, and the public to learn more about the applications of water purifying technologies and the concept of sustainable cycles but also advocates the joint ecological maintenance of Tranquility Lake by teachers and students.

At the unveiling ceremony of the living lab, CCU Vice President Dr. Jung-Ting Tsai mentioned that since achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), designed and adopted by the United Nations (UN), has become a global trend in recent years, CCU has also been working on the implementation of "Clean Water and Sanitation" (SDG 6) in college education. CCU USR Bamboo and Bamboo Charcoal Innovation Project Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Shi-Ming Huang added that CCU has ranked 101-200 in the world and top 5 in Taiwan for SDG 6 in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022. He has great faith in the bamboo technology living lab, believing it can encourage teachers and students to pay more attention to each SDG and contribute their academic findings to the achievement of the SDGs.

In addition, CCU Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Professor Dr. Shau-Chun Wang released his progress report on the Tranquility Lake water purification project during the ceremony. He also gave tours around the interior and exterior spaces of the lab and demonstrated how bamboo technology purifies water and releases clean water back to the lake. The opening of the bamboo technology living lab has marked the official start of the Tranquility Lake clean-up work through ecological approaches.