Green Island Lighthouse Opens to Public—Visitors Rejoice, Locals Worry?

▲ To align with tourism policies, multiple lighthouses across Taiwan have been opened to the public. The image shows Green Island Lighthouse. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ziyin)

By Chen Ziyin

Earlier this year, the Maritime and Port Bureau under the Ministry of Transportation announced that starting September 1, Green Island Lighthouse and Taoyuan’s Baishajia Cape Lighthouse would be open to the public for visits. Prior to this, the public only had one day a year to get up close to these lighthouses.

For Taiwan, an island nation, people have deep emotional connections to lighthouses. The sight of a towering white lighthouse fills hearts with a sense of safety and awe, as we all know it symbolizes a guiding light for fishing boats navigating the vast ocean. For fishermen, lighthouses are even more sacred—not only do they show the way forward, but they also represent a vital reliance. With Taiwan’s outlying island tourism industry booming, lighthouses have been gradually opened to the public in line with policy. Across Taiwan, including its outlying islands, there are 24 lighthouses in total, six of which are now open.

For local residents whose livelihoods have long depended on fishing, the opening of Green Island Lighthouse brings a different kind of concern. The influx of visitors could harm the environment, and those responsible for maintaining the lighthouse are understandably worried. Compared to the previous single day of access per year, the new challenge is how to manage the crowds—who can control what people do once they’re inside?

While tourism brings business and economic opportunities to the outlying islands, it must be balanced with environmental and ecological considerations. More importantly, the government needs comprehensive policy support, because what may be drowned out by the tide of tourists and money is an irreplaceable pristine landscape.

%Some express concern that while visitors are excited to see the lighthouses, for locals who have long lived in harmony with them, the reality is somewhat bittersweet. (Taiwan, reported by the reporter)