Light House Cyclopedia

Question 8 ： The origin of the lighthouse

A:
The oceans take up around 70 percent the surface area of earth. Human beings lived in continents or islands often travel around by sea to break the regional barriers. Vessels are important tools to find the New World. Lighthouses are used to point out directions of culture development. When there was no enough advanced technology, vessels found their own po sitions by checking navigational speed, keeping logs, range finding, direction finding, astronomical observation, depth sounding, navigational graphics , counting time and other navigational facilities. Besides, vessels was also aided by lighthouses, light beacons, pole beacons, lightships, light buoys, buoys and other Aids to Navigation or Navigation facilities that fix the courses and guide the ways. Especially when it is stormy and starless at night on the terrifying waves, the lighthouses shine the beam of hope from islands, capes, shorelines or ports to guide lost ships or the ships in danger, and prevent them from running against reefs. Although some functions of lighthouses are gradually replaced by many electronic Aids to Navigation. However, lighthouses represent the important and everlasting significance that peoples proceeded from land to the sea in history.

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