The Baishajia Lighthouse is located on the Guanyin coast. Before the Taichung Harbor Lighthouse, it was the westernmost lighthouse in Taiwan. There are circular trails around it, so visitors can also enjoy the Guanyin Coastal Recreation Area. The snow white tower of the Baishajia Lighthouse stands out in the blue sky and sea. Lit up in 1901, it was already a famous scenic spot in Taiwan during the Japanese occupation. After more than a hundred years, it was selected as one of the "One Hundred Historical sites in Taiwan" by the Ministry of Culture in 2001. The main building of the lighthouse, the walls and the gnomon built during Japanese occupation, were announced the next year as the first county historical designate of Taoyuan. It is the most complete lighthouse since the Japanese occupation.
The Baishajia Lighthouse is about 37 meters high, only second to the Kenting Eluanbi Lighthouse. The most unique thing about the lighthouse is that it was built with red bricks and stones, which is unlike other cement-built lighthouses in Taiwan. In the late Qing Dynasty, most of the lighthouse equipment was imported from Britain and France. The manufacturer first cast the body of the tower, lamps and other parts, and then transported them to the designated location to assemble. The whole process took three years, but the Baishajia Lighthouse was not made of cast iron, instead using what's called in Japanese, "brick stones." A double layer of masonry made the structure earthquake-resistant. The round-shaped tower is made from a mixture of glutinous rice, brown sugar and lime. The upper part of the lighthouse, on the other hand, is built as bracket using large rocks to support the weight of cast iron top. After the Second World War and many earthquakes and typhoons, it has withstood without severe damage.
The lighthouse still stands today and shines light on the Taiwan Strait, guarding ships on the sea. The structure of the tower and the internal facilities still remain and stride over a century. At the same time, the sundial built during the Japanese occupation is still preserved. It can tell time, direction and latitude according to the shadow sun cast and was once an important instrument to determine when to turn the lighthouse light on and off. Other than that, there is also a clock made by the Shanghai Machine Bureau, and a hundred-year-old chinaberry tree dating back to the Japanese occupation that still stands tall in the garden.
This bright light on the Taiwan Strait dwells amidst quiet surroundings. Besides small bridges across the creek, rice fields and ponds, there are also wooden paths and windy shady paths around it. The lighthouse itself is a picture-perfect spot. Bike riders can park their bikes on the side of the road and walk into the park.
There is a guide room where visitors can know more about the facilities in the lighthouse. A circular walkway, park, pavilion and playground surround the lighthouse. There is also a hiking trail built along the Guanyin River. In addition to water flowing beneath a little bridge, rice fields and ponds, visitors can also overlook the famous windmill over Guanyin seashore. The square in front of the lighthouse tower and the arch bridge over Guanyin River are great places to take wedding photos.
