2025 Feng Chia Sustainable Living Festival Kicks Off, Inspiring the Imagination of “Co-living a Sustainable Future”

This year, the Office of Sustainability at Feng Chia University once again launched the “Feng Chia Sustainable Living Festival and USR University Social Responsibility Project Achievement Presentation.” A series of activities began on November 24, with the highlight—the Sustainable Market—taking place on the east lawn of the Recreation Building on November 28 and 29. This year’s theme, “Co-living a Sustainable Future,” guided faculty and students to rethink the relationship between living, energy, and the environment through workshops, exhibitions, and the market, bringing the concept of sustainability into everyday life.

The festival featured three workshops: “Marine Waste Redesign,” “Bamboo Scented Candle Making,” and “Staghorn Fern DIY Experience.” Through hands-on creativity, participants learned about material recycling, bamboo applications, and plant care, allowing sustainable thinking to naturally take root during the creative process.

The Sustainable Market opened with a ceremony on the first afternoon, attended by President Vey Wang, Vice President Shwu-Ting Lee, and other faculty members, who praised the student teams for their interdisciplinary creativity in integrating coursework with practical fieldwork. They also expressed hope that the Sustainable Living Festival would become an important platform for promoting sustainability actions on campus. Alumni Association Vice President Fu-Chia Lin, Honorary Vice Presidents Meng-Yu Lin, Ming-Lian Cheng, Yu-Hsien Lu, Deputy Secretary-General Kuo-Hung Chang, and Feng Chia Monthly Editor-in-Chief Wen-Tang Lai were also present to support and witness the students’ achievements in sustainability.

President Vey Wang, Vice President Shwu-Ting Lee, Alumni Association Vice President Fu-Chia Lin, Honorary Vice Presidents Meng-Yu Lin, Ming-Lian Cheng, Yu-Hsien Lu, Deputy Secretary-General Kuo-Hung Chang, and Feng Chia Monthly Editor-in-Chief Wen-Tang Lai, along with other alumni, were all present to support and witness the sustainability achievements of Feng Chia’s faculty and students.

One of the event highlights was the themed exhibition “Bamboo Structures for Life.” SPOT Ocean Innovation Base representative Yue-Da Tsai, who promoted this project, was also invited to deliver a speech, sharing the original intention behind Feng Chia University’s collaboration with the Palawan tribe in the Philippines to promote clean water, energy, and cultural sustainability. The opening ceremony featured a “Livable & Virtuous” planting ritual, symbolizing ecological cycles and hope, with faculty members planting greenery together to mark a tangible beginning for the Feng Chia Sustainable Living Festival. The Indigenous Dance Troupe gave a powerful performance, echoing the core spirit of “rooting sustainability in daily life.” After the ceremony, the student curatorial team guided guests through the exhibition area for an in-depth understanding of this year’s advocacy themes.

The Sustainable Market was divided into several areas: Sustainable Procurement, Advocacy, Exhibition, and Stage, offering diverse content. The Exhibition Area focused on “Living × Sustainability,” encouraging visitors to reflect on topics such as housing safety, climate change, and youth rental issues. The “Bamboo Structures for Life” installation was designed by student Po-You Huang under the guidance of Professor Wei-Hsiang Tseng from the School of Architecture, and was constructed with the help of the Feng Chia Scout Troop, Hanxiang Volunteer Team, and student teams. The bamboo structure was connected to a solar energy storage system and water purification equipment, sponsored by alumnus Chih-Wei Peng, Deputy General Manager of Chien Kun Fu Industrial Co., Ltd., and NCM New Century Membrane Technology, respectively. This showcased the practical possibilities of low-carbon building materials and energy recycling, and symbolized Feng Chia’s deepening actions on local and international sustainability issues.

Another exhibition space, in collaboration with the Student Association’s Student Rights Division, presented the connection between student rights and sustainability through the themes of “Learning, System, and Safety.” The wooden structures used in the exhibition area were sourced with the help of Professor Hsueh-Ling Hung, with timber coming from Erkan Village in Penghu and various supporters, adding warmth to the exhibition.

The Advocacy Area featured achievements from the Ministry of Education’s USR projects, including “Building a Green Synergy International Alliance and Sharing Smart Net Zero Models” and “Tribal Revitalization: Resilient Farms for Net Zero Carbon Emissions and Cultural Sustainability.” Sustainable partners such as Greenpeace, OCEANUS, Trash Closer, Fengyuan Elementary School, as well as partner universities like National Chin-Yi University of Technology, Chung Shan Medical University, and student clubs from Feng Chia, participated through exhibitions, interactive activities, and issue-based experiences, presenting topics such as environmental protection, energy resilience, and social care, and encouraging more people to engage in sustainability actions.

The Sustainable Procurement Area brought together brands related to low-carbon diets, bamboo products, and natural materials. All booths did not provide single-use tableware and set up a reusable tableware rental station to truly implement plastic reduction. This year, vendor signs were made with wooden laser engraving by the Feng Chia Maker Club and Wenhwa Senior High School, and were returned to vendors for continued use after the event, embodying the spirit of resource recycling.

 All vendors at the Feng Chia Sustainable Living Festival’s market did not provide single-use tableware and set up a reusable tableware rental station, making it easy for faculty and students to practice plastic reduction.

The Stage Area featured performances by various artists and on-campus clubs, including the Guitar Club, String Ensemble, and singer-songwriters, bringing relaxing music under the afternoon sun. Picnic mats laid out on the lawn allowed attendees to sit comfortably and enjoy the leisurely atmosphere in the open space.

The 2025 Feng Chia Sustainable Living Festival was jointly organized by nearly 30 students from different departments, under the guidance of the Office of Sustainability and the s.School (School of Social Innovation). Through action, they demonstrated Feng Chia’s commitment to sustainability education. By engaging with the campus and the broader community through exhibitions, workshops, and the market, the festival helped sustainability concepts take root on campus and continue to spread into the community, becoming a collective force for co-creating a better future.

Over the course of two days, the Sustainable Market featured a variety of performers and on-campus clubs taking the stage in turn. The lively atmosphere attracted faculty, students, and members of the public from both inside and outside the university to participate together.

For three consecutive years, the “Feng Chia Sustainable Living Festival” has been initiated by students themselves. From theme conception to event planning, exhibition design, and on-site execution, the entire process has been collaboratively completed by students from different departments, demonstrating the power of youth to promote sustainability through action.