Bai Sha Jiao Lighthouse

Bai Sha Jiao Lighthouse

Bai Sha Jiao Lighthouse is a cultural tourism attraction.

Bai Sha Jiao Lighthouse is located at Bai Sha Jiao in Guanyin Township, Taoyuan County, and is the westernmost lighthouse on Taiwan Island. Its design began in 1896 (Meiji 29) during the Japanese colonial period, construction started in 1898, and it was completed in 1901. In 2002, it was designated as a Taoyuan County historic site. Besides being an important maritime navigation facility, it also served military sentry and meteorological observation functions in the early years.

Most lighthouses built in Taiwan during the late Qing Dynasty were imported fully assembled from countries such as Britain and France, with manufacturers prefabricating the components and shipping them for assembly on-site. However, Bai Sha Jiao Lighthouse was constructed using what is called “brick-and-stone masonry” in Japanese—a double-layered brick and stone structure designed for earthquake resistance. The tower body is built with red bricks, while the upper section is composed of large stone blocks forming a support frame that holds up the lantern room. The light apparatus originally used a French-made third-order rotating lens with a triple-wick kerosene lamp. During World War II, the lighthouse was heavily damaged by strafing from Allied aircraft, and in 1956, it was retrofitted with an electric third-order rotating lens light.

For over 100 years, the snow-white Bai Sha Jiao Lighthouse has withstood numerous earthquakes, tsunamis, and even large-scale wars, yet it still stands firmly on the coast of Guanyin Township, illuminating the Taiwan Strait. It is truly a scenic highlight along the Taoyuan coastline.

Lighthouse at Bai-sa-jia

Must-visit reason: The westernmost lighthouse on Taiwan Island