Former Gate of National Cheng Kung University, University gate in Daxue Village, Tainan, Taiwan.
The former gate of National Cheng Kung University is a modern structure resembling a triumphal arch, decorated with Chinese motifs. Its top features 210 ruyi-shaped cloud ornaments, and the pillar bases are simplified Qing-style xumi pedestals with a height-to-width ratio of 1:1.618, the golden ratio.
The gate was built in 1956 and marked the renaming of Taiwan's Provincial College of Engineering to Taiwan Provincial Cheng Kung University. This change reflected the institution's growing role as a center for research and advanced education.
The gate blends Eastern and Western design elements and is seen by students as the threshold to the university community. It shapes the visual identity of the campus and marks where the city transitions into academic space.
The gate stands at the junction of Daxue Road and Shengli Road in East District, on the boundary between the Cheng Kung and Shengli campuses and the city. It is a street-side structure, so it is seen on foot from the pavement; there is no interior to enter.
The gate's pedestals follow a height-to-width ratio of 1:1.618, the golden ratio, not a simple 1:1.25. Its lintel carries 210 ruyi-shaped cloud ornaments, a number read as a symbol of the university's free academic spirit.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,684 contributors worldwide.