Lüdao Lighthouse

Lighthouse in Lüdao, Taitung County, Taiwan

Lighthouse

Fl(2) W 20s

The Lüdao Lighthouse (traditional Chinese: 綠島燈塔; simplified Chinese: 绿岛灯塔; pinyin: Lǜdǎo Dēngtǎ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Le̍k-tó Teng-thah) is a lighthouse in Cape Bitoujiao, Green Island, Taitung County, Taiwan.^[1]

History

The lighthouse was built and went into operation in 1939 after the SS President Hoover hit the island's reef on 11 December 1937 en route from Japan to the Philippines. The construction cost was funded by the American Red Cross as a thanksgiving to the local people who had rescued the passengers of the ship. The lighthouse was destroyed by an air strike during World War II but was rebuilt by the Republic of China government in 1948. Much later on, the lighthouse was opened to the public in September 2013. It has been designated as a historical building in Taitung County.^[2]

Architecture

The white lighthouse is 33 meters in height with 150 steps to the top of the tower. It was originally designed by a Japanese engineer.^[3]

References

^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Taiwan: Southeastern". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 16 April 2016.
^ Shan, Shelley (1 February 2013). "Bigger tourism role seen for lighthouses". Taipei Times. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
^ "Part Two: The Wreck of the SS President Hoover". The Takao Club. Retrieved 18 May 2014.