Nearly 150 young people from Taiwan and people from overseas who love Taiwan set out on bicycle on August 5th to ride around the island. The group commenced their trip from in front of the Presidential Building in Taipei and planned on making it through Taiwans 18 counties and large cities, as well as 100 townships and villages. The group has ridden their bikes through typhoons and torrential rain. On Monday, they arrived at Hualians Farglory Ocean Park. While each rider was drenched with perspiration, they were totally enthusiastic about their journey, which will take them a total of 1,000 kilometers.

The Fifth Cycling Taiwan 1,000 Kilometer 2007 Biking, Touring & Knowing Taiwan event is being hosted by the Sports Affairs Council under the Executive Yuan as well as the Taiwan Cyclist Federation. The Farglory Group and other corporate organizations are co-sponsoring the event. The leader of the activity, which will take the participants on a 1,000 kilometer bicycle ride through Taiwan, is Ti Mao-chang, an assistant professor in the Department of Leisure Business Management at Dahan Institute of Technology, as well as Tis long-distance counterpart Hsueh Ching-kuang.

This is the first time that many of the participants have taken part in the event, and many are not overly familiar with the road conditions in some places. As a result, a number of small accidents have been recorded. However, medical personnel from Farglory Life Insurance have been quick to reach the scene to handle the scrapes and bruises. The injured have been determined to continue to stay on their bikes and peddle through Taiwan to see the islands beauty.

Ti Mao-chang said that while they were on their way, they were made aware that tropical storm Pabuk would hit the island. While some of the students taking part in the event were a bit nervous and concerned, Ti said that all of the leaders took charge and made sure that there was no danger. None of the student riders wanted to give up either. With safety always being the foremost consideration, the group set off southward on their journey. When the group reached the Shouka Station on the South Round Highway, they met with a severe thunderstorm and therefore decided to rest a bit. After the storm passed, they rode from Pingdong northward to Taidong and then Hualian.

In addition to representatives from colleges and universities in Taiwan, joining the group were representatives from Germany, Australia, the United States, Denmark, Uruguay, Indonesia, Paraguay, England, Japan, and Thailand. Most people were moved by the enthusiasm of the participant from Demark. Upon reaching Hualian on Monday, he exclaimed, "Taiwan is really gorgeous!"

Lee Cheng-li, the customer service manager at Hualians Farglory Ocean Park, said that the participants in the round-the-island bike tour stayed the evening at the park and had the experience of sleeping near the dolphins or other creatures inhabiting the ocean. At 7 a.m. on Tuesday, the group set out, heading north, beginning the final two days of their journey. On August 14, they will stay the night in Yilan before cycling back to the plaza in front of the Presidential Building on August 15, marking the completion of their tour.