A new tourism choice: Kaohsiung Lighthouse renovation completed and opened to tourists, the only one in the country co-built with a fort

A new choice for sightseeing and tourism! The Maritime and Port Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday (the 18th) that the renovation work on Kaohsiung Lighthouse and its park has been completed, and it is once again open to visitors, welcoming the public to come and enjoy a cultural journey through a century of history and the uniquely endowed natural scenery.

The Maritime and Port Bureau said that in order to maintain the century-old Kaohsiung Lighthouse, starting in 106 (2017) it carried out lighthouse renovation, structural reinforcement, and renewal and improvement of old facilities in accordance with the "Taiwan Region Lighthouse Renovation and Development Plan," making every effort to enhance the building's visual appeal and public safety so as to achieve the goal of preserving maritime cultural assets. After 3 years of effort, the park renovation work was finally completed in August of 109 (2020).

Kaohsiung Lighthouse was formerly called Qihou Mountain Lamp Room or Qihou Lighthouse, and is the only lighthouse in all of Taiwan co-built with a fort. It was originally a white square red-brick lighthouse built in 1883 (the 9th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing dynasty). In 1916 (the 5th year of the Taisho reign of Japan), after the opening of Takao Port, the Japanese rebuilt it into a white octagonal concrete lighthouse to coordinate with the Kaohsiung Port expansion plan. Although it was strafed by machine-gun fire during World War II, its lighting operation was not affected, enough to bear witness to the development history of Takao Port.

To help the public understand the history and culture of Kaohsiung Lighthouse, a cultural and historical room has been set up in the lighthouse park. Visiting tourists can browse the lighthouse chronology, classic videos, and collections of old photographs through interactive facilities; in addition, by downloading the "Kaohsiung Lighthouse" app, they can experience interactive mini-games featuring ships entering the port, the lighthouse lighting up, fort firing, and a day of vendors in Cijin, as well as an AR augmented reality photo function to take their own exclusive photos with the scenic spots. It is currently the summer vacation period, and the public is welcome to call up friends and bring their families to come and enjoy a different kind of travel atmosphere.