| Eluanbi Lighthouse | |
| Location | Eluanbi, Hengchun, Pingtung County, Taiwan |
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| Coordinates | |
| Year first constructed | 1881 |
| Year first lit | 1883 |
| Deactivated | Active |
| Foundation | Concrete/Granite |
| Construction | Concrete/Iron |
| Tower shape | Conical |
| Markings / pattern | White(tower & lantern) |
| Height | 21.4 m (70 ft)(five floors) |
| Focal height | 56.4 m (185 ft) above sea level |
| Original lens | Fourth order fresnel |
| Intensity | 1,800,000 candlepower |
| Range | 27.2 nm |
| Characteristic | Flashing white once every ten seconds About one revolution every thirty seconds |
Eluanbi Lighthouse (Chinese: 鵝鑾鼻燈塔) is a lighthouse located on the Cape Eluanbi, which is also the southernmost point of Taiwan, to the south of Hengchun in Pingtung County, Taiwan. Eluanbi Lighthouse is managed by the Directorate General of Customs, Ministry of Finance, Taiwan. The lighthouse is built between the Pacific Ocean and the Taiwan Strait, facing toward the Luzon Strait. Thus, the lighthouse has a splendid panorama. The lighthouse is open to the public all year around. Today, the Eluanbi Lighthouse is called "The Light of East Asia", because its intensity is the most powerful among Taiwan lighthouses.
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The Eluanbi Lighthouse was built during the Qing Dynasty in 1888. Accidents in the area were quite often due to hidden reefs. In 1888, an English architect W. F. Spindey, a member of Royal Geographical Society, was hired to construct this lighthouse as a guide for nearby ships. The lighthouse is the only armed lighthouse in the world, with a trench surrounding it and many gun holes on the wall. The extra fortifications were required at the time it was built because of frequent raids by local aboriginal tribes.
As a concession by the Qing Empire when it lost the First Sino-Japanese War, Taiwan became a colony of Japan. Severe damage suffered during the First Sino-Japanese War was repaired in 1898 during the Japanese rule period. However, during World War II, the lighthouse was again seriously damaged by Allied bombing during the Aerial Battle of Taiwan-Okinawa.
In 1962, the lighthouse was re-built as a conical concrete building with a white cover. Today, the lighthouse is still functional and is also held as a historical monument admired by many tourists in the Kenting National Park. In addition, next to the lighthouse there is an Eluanbi Memorial (see Gallery) of Taiwan Eight Magnificent Sceneries. On the memorial the Chinese "Eluanbi" (Chinese: 鵞鑾鼻) is sculptured on the surface, written in Wang Xizhi calligraphy style.
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