Dongquan Lighthouse (Dongjyu Island Lighthouse)

A pristine white lighthouse with a century of history, standing under the blue sky and sea. The Dongjyu Island Lighthouse, also known as Dongquan Lighthouse, is located on the northeastern side of Dongjyu Island. During the Qing Dynasty, after its defeat in the Opium War, it signed the Treaty of Nanking with Britain, opening up coastal trade. To facilitate navigation to Fuzhou, a lighthouse was built during the Tongzhi reign at the request of the British. Constructed in the 11th year of the Tongzhi reign (1872), the Dongjyu Island Lighthouse was thus born under this historical backdrop. In 1988, the Ministry of the Interior designated the Dongjyu Island Lighthouse as a Grade 2 historic monument in the Taiwan-Fujian region. It is Taiwan's first lighthouse built with granite. Its exterior is painted snow-white, and it stands approximately 19.5 meters tall. After its light source is refracted through a clam-shaped crystal lens, its beam can reach up to 16.7 nautical miles (about 31 kilometers). The Dongjyu Island Lighthouse has quietly served on Dongjyu Island for over a century, consistently flashing a signal of one long and two short lights every night. The most unique feature is a 30-meter-long white low windbreak wall built on the lawn connecting the lighthouse and the office. This is because the Dongjyu Island Lighthouse is situated on high ground where winds are strong. The windbreak wall allows staff to quickly pass by stooping low during strong winds, preventing the kerosene lamps carried by ancient staff from being extinguished. Baimao Castle – Lighthouse Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall: The Lighthouse Cultural Relics Exhibition Hall, which opened in June 2008, has a long