Light House Cyclopedia

Question 40：The four open lighthouses to the public in Taiwan?

A: Kaohsiung Lighthouse (also called Cihou Lighthouse)
　　Locals never thought of entering the Kaohsiung Lighthouse in Cijin before it was opened up. The lighthouse, located in the military restriction area, never opened to the public before, and locals never had chances to enter this mysterious building. The lighthouse sits on the northernmost of Cijin in Kaohsiung. Its octagonal brick body stands 58.2 meters high. It faces Hsitzu Bay and National Sun Yat-Sen University in the north, Kaohsiung Harbor filled with busy vessels and Kaohsiung downtown in the east, tourists on the southeast coast, and Taiwan Strait on the west. After taking a ferry from Gushan across the river, it takes around 15 to 20 minutes from the ferry to reach the foot of Cihou Mountain where Kaohsiung Lighthouse (Cihou Lighthouse) sits on the top. The uphill sloping hiking road to the lighthouse is steep. Visitors can exercise there and then go to have a seafood feast on the street. Visitors can also tour around Cijin streets on the foot of the hill by tricycle, which can not been seen in other places. Otherwise, visitors can go up to the lighthouse at the hilltop to look down all the city landscapes. There is one ancient fort, which belongs to the second-class historical site, under construction by the Ministry of National Defense. This historical site will open after the reconstruction is completed.
　　Yuwongdau Lighthouse
　　Yuwongdau Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Taiwan, and just near the majestic Penghu Great Bridge (Crossing Sea Bridge). The lighthouse kept remaining relics of ancient forts, which were used as fog guns. Those fog guns were mostly used in foggy spring to warn and guide fishing ships not to run against reefs there. At present, those fog guns are replaced by air sirens to guide the vessels. The beauty of Yuwongdau Lighthouse lies in seclusion and mysterious within the military troops where inhabits no civil residents but fields of green grass, cattle and navy blue sea. Yuwongdau Lighthouse, located in Siyu Township in Penghu archipelago, is attractive because of not only the tower itself but also reflection of he tower and rosy sunset glow on the sea surface. This view is regarded as a gorgeous painting which is not open to the public. Though the lighthouse is connected with a cross-sea bridge, it still takes public transportation to get there. Most visitors just visited the bridge and don’t go further to the lighthouse. Due to few visitors there, the lighthouse keeps unpolluted now. Yuwongdau Lighthouse, established in 1778 in the Ching Dynasty, is the oldest lighthouse in Taiwan. The lighthouse is a seven-storey stone tower that shone every night to worship the Sea Goddess Matsu whose shrine was in front of the lighthouse, and was also used as the navigational mark to guide vessels sailing among Taiwan and Amoy (Siamen) areas. The Customs of the Ching Dynasty rebuilt the new-type one in 1875. The lighthouse is ranked as the second-class historical site, and still keeps a Stone Inscription set up in 1828. It is the most convenient way for tourist to rent a car for a casual trip. You can drive a car through the cross-sea bridge to the lighthouse. After visiting the interior of the lighthouse, you can wait for the gorgeous sunset, and then go back to the downtown for the great seafood.
　　Eluanbi Lighthouse
　　Eluangi Lighthouse, representing a century of glory, is used to be a famous spot for photo taking. Now visitors can go inside to know more about this ancient tower, built in 1883. The lighthouse is the unique armed lighthouse in the world. Visitors can see bullet holes on the enclosing walls and ditches outside. The bullet holes and ditches were not used to fight for foreign enemies, but for aboriginal people at that time. The lighthouse was built as a fort whose base tier was used for the gun emplacement. The Ching Dynasty sent the general Wang Fulu and five hundred soldiers to protect the lighthouse at that time. The Ching Dynasty planned to build Eluanbi Lighthouse along with the Hengchun City castle in 1875, completed the construction in 1883. Four gates of Hengchun castle were finished in 1879, and then the lighthouse was finished four years later. Thus, the lighthouse has close relationship with the development of Hengchun in history. Hsieh Jhensian, the director of the lighthouse, said that Eluanbi Lighthouse couldn’t resist the damages from foreign enemies though it was equipped with armed forces against domestic attacks. The first destruction was caused by Japanese when they landed Taiwan, which was ceded to Japan then. The second destruction was caused by heavy bombs from the allied forces during the World War II. The beauty of Eluanbi Lighthouse is beyond description. The lighthouse is well-known as the Eight Wonders of Taiwan in the world. However, the building history is not known to the people. The lighthouse was built after the appeal from the United States. In 1867, an US merchant ship met a violent storm and lost its course at sea when heading for Nioujhuang from Shantou. The ship struck a reef and sunk near Cisingjiao which is in the distance of nine nautical miles in the southwest of Eluanbi. The captain and sailors swam to Taiwan safely; however, they were captured and skilled later. Therefore, The US government urged that we should set up a lighthouse there. Besides, Okinawan fishermen once died in maritime accidents as well. Japan government also asked us to set up a lighthouse at that time.
　　San Diego Lighthouse
　　There are many tourists on the northeast coast all the year. Visitors are swim and diving in summer, and fishing in winter there. San Diego Lighthouse is also a famous scenic attraction there. San Diego Lighthouse, located in the Northeast Coastal Scenic Area, adjoins with Taipei County and Yilan County. The Fulong Beach is at a distance of 7 kilometers in the south, and the further southbound spot is Shihcheng in Yilan. Sitting at the cape protruding to the Pacific Ocean, the San Diego Lighthouse stands 100.6 meters high and shines its beams to the distance of 24.5 nautical miles. Standing at the tower, you can feel yourself encircled by the Pacific Ocean on three sides, and face the giant waves splashing down. San Diego Lighthouse has the best view over the sea on the northeast coast. You can see Gueishan Island in the south, and the Bitou Cape Lighthouse in the north when there is clearly visibility. The lighthouse is open to the public since January 1, 1991. Visitors can enjoy the broad sky and sea views there afterwards. It is the most convenient way to get the lighthouse by car. It is also convenient for travelers who take the transport bus. The Taiwan Motor Transport Company Ltd. offers three scheduled runs every hour from Luodong Township to Taipei, or from Taipei to Luodong Township. You can take off the bus at the Magang Stop, and then take a ten-minute walk along the pedestrian precincts to get there. San Diego was under construction in 1935 after two vessels sunk in 1929 and 1931 respectively. The lighthouse was equipped with the third-class kerosene incandescent lamp at first. The lighthouse was once damaged by bombs during the World War II. Latest renovated of the lighthouse was completed in 1946. Lin Concih, the director of San Diego Lighthouse, provided some travel routes here. The neighboring Lailai Fishing Spot is an ideal place along with the lighthouse for a one-day trip. The fishing spot, containing popular marine species such as lobsters, small abalones (Holiotis diversicolor) and Girella, can be considered a major recreational spot.

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