Green Island Lighthouse Introduction
In December 1937, the world's largest luxury cruise ship at the time, the President Hoover, set sail from Keelung to the Philippines. Due to thick fog, it ran aground in the waters off Green Island (Chai Kou). The next morning, residents of Green Island used small boats to rescue the crew and tourists, bringing them ashore and accommodating them in their homes, earning widespread international praise. In gratitude for the bravery of the residents, the American authorities donated funds through the Red Cross to build the Green Island Lighthouse. During World War II, the lighthouse was destroyed in an air raid, and the current lighthouse was rebuilt by the Republic of China government in 1948. The Green Island Lighthouse stands approximately 33.3 meters tall and features 150 steps, offering views of the entire island from the top. Constructed of reinforced concrete, the tower has a cylindrical shape and was originally covered in a black and white checkered pattern; the external walls of the building and the surrounding wall were faced with pebbles. After its rebuilding in 1948, it was painted entirely in pure white. The existing lighthouse uses a modern fourth-order rotating lens and electric light, flashing twice every 20 seconds, with a luminosity of one million candlepower, providing mariners with a clearer way to determine direction. After 2013, all lighthouses in Taiwan were managed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, and the tower itself is not open to the public. Only the Green Island Lighthouse park is open for public visitation. From March to May each year, wild lilies bloom abundantly on Green Island, with large areas of them available for public appreciation in front of the lighthouse.
