Eluanbi Lighthouse

Eluanbi Lighthouse

Eluanbi Lighthouse
Location	Eluanbi, Hengchun, Pingtung County, Taiwan
Coordinates	21°54′08″N 120°51′10″E / 21.902222°N 120.852778°E / 21.902222; 120.852778Coordinates: 21°54′08″N 120°51′10″E / 21.902222°N 120.852778°E / 21.902222; 120.852778
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{{{focalheight}}}
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 Cape Eluanbi, 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, Eluanbi Lighthouse is called "The Light of East Asia", because its intensity is the most powerful among Taiwan lighthouses.

History

Qing dynasty

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.

Japanese rule period

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.

Present

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's calligraphy style.

Side view of Eluanbi Lighthouse

See also

• List of lighthouses in Taiwan

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Eluanbi Lighthouse.

• Kenting National Park(Taiwan) (English)(Japanese)(Chinese)
• Eluanbi Lighthouse-Directorate General of Customs(Taiwan) (English)(Chinese)
• Eluanbi Lighthouse(Taiwan) (Chinese)

v t e Lighthouses of Taiwan Cilaibi Lighthouse Eluanbi Lighthouse