Beimen Lighthouse Introduction
Beimen Bromine Tower, a wartime military munitions factory, was crucial in producing bromine, an essential chemical raw material extensively used in flame retardants, extinguishing agents, refrigerants, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and chemical fertilizers. During the war, the Japanese colonial empire extracted bromine from concentrated seawater or brine in salt pans due to the demand for explosives in military fuel. Since the raw materials came from brine produced in salt fields, these munitions factories were typically built near salt fields. In 1939, Nihon Soda, Japan Salt Industry, and Taiwan Development Company formed the "Southern Japan Chemical Industry Co., Ltd." in Kaohsiung City, establishing the Anping Factory in Tainan City, with branch factories in Budai, Beimen, and other locations, among which the Beimen Bromine Tower is one. The Beimen Bromine Tower was primarily constructed with cement, wood, and bricks, covered with corrugated iron. After the war, residents dismantled the iron and wood, leaving only the currently visible red brick tower marked by "three in one, plus one." According to local elders, the brine source was from areas around Beimen Zhongzhou and Jingzaijiao (at that time, the Beimen salt field included five areas: Keliou, Wengya Harbor, Jingzaijiao, Beimen, and Zhongzhou), which transported brine using bamboo pipes made from square bamboo to produce bromine. Currently located beside Taiwan Provincial Highway 17, the Beimen Bromine Tower covers an area of about a dozen ping. From a distance, the building's exterior is gradually peeling, yet it still bears witness to its significant historical burden.
