Yuwengdao Lighthouse

Lighthouse in Xiyu, Penghu, Taiwan

Lighthouse

23°33′45″N 119°28′08″E / 23.562547°N 119.469020°E / 23.562547; 119.469020TowerConstructed1778 (first)
1828 (second)ConstructionCast iron towerHeight11 metres (36 ft)ShapeCylindrical tower with balcony and lanternMarkingsWhite tower, black lantern domePower sourcemains electricity

OperatorMaritime and Port Bureau^[1]^[2]LightFirst lit1875 (current)Focal height60.7 metres (199 ft)Range25.1 nautical miles (46.5 km; 28.9 mi)CharacteristicL Fl (2) W 30s.

The Yuwengdao Lighthouse or Yuwongdao Lighthouse, Fisher Island Lighthouse, Yuweng Tao Lighthouse, Yu-Won Island Lighthouse, West Island Lighthouse and Xiyu Lighthouse (traditional Chinese: 漁翁島燈塔; simplified Chinese: 渔翁岛灯塔; pinyin: Yúwēng Dǎo Dēngtǎ) is a lighthouse in Wai'an Village, Xiyu Township, Penghu County, Taiwan. The Yuwengdao Lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in Taiwan.^[3]^[4]^[5]

History

The Yuwengdao Lighthouse was built by British engineer, David Marr Henderson, in 1875 on the site of the earlier "Xiyu Pagoda Lighthouse" (Chinese: 西嶼塔燈; pinyin: Xīyǔ tǎdēng), which was originally built in 1778 during the Qianlong Emperor reign of Taiwan. The earlier Xiyu Pagoda Lighthouse structure was a stone tower with an oil lamp light source, and is mentioned on a stone stele that still stands within the grounds of the Yuwengdao Lighthouse. Originally having black exterior, the Yuwengdao Lighthouse was repainted white in 1915. The site was opened to the public in 1992.^[6]^[7]^[8]

Architecture

The lighthouse is built of cast iron painted white and stands at a height of 11 meters.

Documentary

The Yuwengdao Lighthouse was the focus of the short documentary film, The Coastwise Lights of Penghu : The Fisher Island (Yuwengdao) Lighthouse 燈塔記憶 : 澎湖漁翁島燈塔, published in 2017 by the City University of Hong Kong (CityU).^[9]

References

^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Taiwan: Penghu Islands". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
^ Yuweng Tao lighthouse Maritime and Port Bureau. Retrieved April 18, 2016
^ "Maritime and Port Bureau, MOTC-Lighthouse-Yuweng Tao Lighthouse". motcmpb.gov.tw.
^ "Attractions > Hot Spots > Penghu County > Yuwongdao Lighthouse >". taiwan.net.tw.
^ Spencer, David (2018-10-07). "Taiwan's Top 5 Lighthouses". Taiwan News. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
^ "tour.penghu.gov.tw/en/Attractionscontent.aspx?id=9413". Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
^ "The wind and the waves". South China Morning Post. 15 November 2014.
^ Ching, Steve H. (2018-02-27). "Turning a Service Learning Experience into a Model of Student Engagement: The Lighthouse Heritage Research Connections (LHRC) Project in Hong Kong". The Journal of Academic Librarianship. 44 (2): 196–206. doi:10.1016/j.acalib.2018.02.007.
^ "The Coastwise Lights of Penghu : The Fisher Island (Yuwengdao) Lighthouse 燈塔記憶 : 澎湖漁翁島燈塔". City University of Hong Kong. April 2017. Retrieved 2020-05-19.