Lingao Cape Lighthouse

The oldest lighthouse in Hainan is the Lingao Cape Lighthouse, located at the western entrance of the Qiongzhou Strait. Built in 1894, it shares the title of Hainan’s oldest lighthouse with the Xiuying Lighthouse in Haikou. In May 1997, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities included the Lingao Lighthouse among the “100 Most Notable Lighthouses of the World.” The Lingao Cape Lighthouse…

Lingao Cape Lighthouse

Lingao Cape Lighthouse

The oldest lighthouse in Hainan is the Lingao Cape Lighthouse, located at the western entrance of the Qiongzhou Strait. Built in 1894, it shares the title of Hainan’s oldest lighthouse with the Xiuying Lighthouse in Haikou. In May 1997, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities included the Lingao Lighthouse among the “100 Most Notable Lighthouses of the World.” The Lingao Cape Lighthouse, standing 20.6 meters tall with a light height of 20.8 meters, has a width of 1.88 meters, a range of 18 nautical miles, and is constructed of steel with 350 surrounding support beams. It serves as an important navigational aid on the northwest coast of Hainan Island.

The oldest lighthouse in Hainan is the Lingao Cape Lighthouse, located at the western entrance of the Qiongzhou Strait. Built in 1894, it shares the title of Hainan’s oldest lighthouse with the Xiuying Lighthouse in Haikou. In May 1997, the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities included the Lingao Lighthouse among the “100 Most Notable Lighthouses of the World.” The Lingao Cape Lighthouse, standing 20.6 meters tall with a light height of 20.8 meters, has a width of 1.88 meters, a range of 18 nautical miles, and is constructed of steel with 350 surrounding support beams. It serves as an important navigational aid on the northwest coast of Hainan Island.

In addition to its long history, this lighthouse holds a significant place in Hainan’s unique past. In 1760, China’s first lighthouse was built on the fishing island of Penghu, Taiwan. As the country’s second-largest island, Hainan is surrounded by sea and boasts numerous harbors, shoals, rapids, and reefs, yet lighthouses appeared here much later.

In 1894, the French, aiming to invade China from the sea, chose to construct two lighthouses at Lingao Cape and Xiuying on Hainan Island. This gave the early chapter of the island’s lighthouse history a somewhat bitter start. The occupation of the lighthouses by Japanese forces invading Hainan in 1939 further tainted that history with shame.

Since the establishment of the Lingao Cape Lighthouse, Hainan has built a total of 19 lighthouses, like 19 night pearls embedded in this precious island. The most heartening news is that this year, the State Post Bureau will issue a set of stamps titled “Historical Lighthouses,” in which the ancient Lingao Cape Lighthouse will shine brightly in its small frame.

In May 2013, the Lingao Cape Lighthouse was announced as part of the seventh group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level.

Further Reading:

· Seventh Group of Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level