The six-hectare Tsengwen Youth Activity Center built to accommodate tourists in the Tsengwen Reservoir area of Tainan County, was established in 1975 by the China Youth Corps. Its main features are neatness, comfort, simplicity, original design and harmony with the surrounding countryside.
The three-story cub-shaped main hall has 43 multiple residential units, each capable of accommodating eight people, and furnished with sanitary facilities. The main lobby on the first floor can be used as an assembly, research and recreation center. In front of the building are a 25-meter long and 12-meter wide swimming pool, and volleyball and basketball courts. Close by are the American-style Chunghsiao and Hsinyi Chuang motels which provide rooms for a modest NT$250 (US$7) a night. There are also the family style Jenchuang and Aichuang hostels for budget visitors. The fresh air and relaxed environment of the center, the three-dimensional effect of the irregular balconies on the second and third floors of the main building, plus the rustic simplicity of the wooden furnishings, all help to create an ideal environment for visitors.
In contrast with the modern buildings of the center is an outdoor camping area which allows young people to enjoy the primitive outdoors life. The center has three separate camping areas able to accommodate 1,200 people and providing modern equipment and facilities. The banyan, linden, olive and other fruit trees dotted here and there throughout the area provide convenient shade for the campers and other visitors. Parallel with the main building is a modern restaurant run on a non-profit basis, with a capacity of 480 persons. Charges are only NT$20 for breakfast and NT$40 for lunch and dinner (eight persons a table with four main courses and soup).
The NT$3,300 million (US$92 million) Tsengwen Youth Activity Center has achieved a reputation for its picturesque setting and elaborate facilities. But the personnel working there are not complacent, and have adopted the motto of "Progress every day until perfection is reached." Chou Yuen-chen, secretary general of the center, stressed the determination of the China Youth Corps to set up more such resorts for youth. He pointed out that the fast pace of industrial development in the Republic of China had caused young people to become dissatisfied with the crude facilities which were available in the past. They want to get close to nature, but at the same time seek a complete and comfortable environment.
In the future, it is planned to add a roller-skating rink, archery range, athletics track, parachute tower, and mountain climbing facilities in the nearby hills. Chou is confident that after all the facilities are installed, the Tsengwen Youth Activity Center will be among the most comprehensive and well-equipped in the Far East.
Because there are only 17 CYC employees in charge of the running, maintenance and planning of the facility, the public has been asked to cooperate to maintain a tidy and harmonious environment. Tourists are required to place bowls and chopsticks to the dishwasher trough, turn off the lights all 11 p.m. and make their beds in the morning. Gambling and liquor are strictly prohibited. As former CYC director Soong Shih-shuan puts it: "To strengthen a nation, one must first strengthen its people." The regulations imposed at the center will teach the young students to learn respect and love for their colleagues, adjust themselves to society and cultivate a spirit of teamwork.
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