Lighthouses of China: Shengsi and Qiqu Islands, Zhejiang

The Chinese province of Zhejiang (formerly spelled Chekiang) occupies the central coast of the country, south of Shanghai and north of the Formosa Strait. The province faces east on the East China Sea. For the most part the coastline is hilly and irregular, with more than 3000 islands of all sizes offshore.

Hangzhou Bay is a large embayment at the northern end of the province. Spread across the mouth of Hangzhou Bay, the Zhoushan Islands include well over 1000 islands, although only 103 are large enough to be inhabited. Lighting this maze of islands requires hundreds of beacons of all sizes. This page covers lighthouses of the Shengsi Islands, the northeasternmost of the Zhoushan Islands, and of the Qiqu Islands, which lie to the west in the northern entrance to Hangzhou Bay. China is developing the major deep-water port of Yangshan, a satellite port for Shanghai, in the Qiqu Islands. The islands are administered as Shengsi County within Zhoushan Prefecture.

Lighthouses in China are maintained by the PRC Maritime Safety Administration. The administration is organized in four regional administrations, with offices in the major ports. All the lights on this page are maintained by the Zhenhai MSA office. The Chinese word for a lighthouse is dēngtǎ (灯塔). Jiao or chiao is a cape, dao, tao, yu, or hsu is an island, wan is a bay, and kang or gang is a harbor. Due to competing systems for transliterating Chinese into Latin characters, there are always several possible spellings for the names of places in China.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. CN numbers are Chinese light list numbers. Admiralty numbers are from volume F of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
List of Chinese Lights
This is part of a long light list for all of China posted by the Shanghai MSA office. Shengsi area lights are found beginning on page 54 of the list.
East China Sea Navigation Aids
Additional lighthouse data posted by the Shanghai Region office of the MSA.
China AMS Topographic Maps
A fine collection of U.S. Army Map Service maps of China, in English, posted by the University of Texas Library.

Dajishan Light
Dajishan Light
PRC Maritime Safety Administration photo

Dajishan Island Lighthouse
Dajishan (Ta-chi Shan, Gutzlaff Island) (3)
1994 (station established 1869). Active; focal plane 92 m (302 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 24 m (79 ft) octagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and a square observation room. The lighthouse is covered with white ceramic tile; lantern dome painted red. The original lighthouse, a round cast iron tower, was replaced in 1900 by another round 13 m (43 ft) cast iron tower. Probably that tower was damaged or destroyed in World War II, so a brick tower was built in 1958. The Shanghai MSA has the closeup of the current lighthouse seen above and a historical page with photos of the first and second lighthouses; Google has a distant satellite view of the station. Located atop an isolated rocky islet about 25 km (15 mi) east southeast of Nanhuijiao (Cape Yangtze). CN-2322; Admiralty F3748; NGA 18868.

Haijiao and Ma'an Islands Lighthouses
Note: These are the northernmost islands of the Zhoushan archipelago. The Ma'an or Saddle Islands are at the northeastern end of the archipelago; Haijiao is an isolated island about 32 km (20 mi) east of the Ma'an group.
Haijiao (2)
2007 (station established 1977). Active; focal plane 58 m (190 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12.5 m (41 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern dome painted red. Shanghai MSA has a photo of the new lighthouse and a page on the old one, and another photo is available, but the island is not seen in Google's satellite view. In 1997 that lighthouse was repaired after being damaged by a typhoon. This is the easternmost Chinese lighthouse. Located atop an isolated rocky pinnacle far out in the East China Sea, about 100 km (60 mi) east of Cape Yangtze and 50 km (30 mi) east of Huaniao Shan. (Haijiao means "sea reef.") Accessible only by boat, and landing is difficult. Site and tower closed. CN-2294; Admiralty F3747.4; NGA 18864.
* Huaniaoshan (Huaniao Shan, North Saddle Island)
1870. Active; focal plane 89 m (292 ft); white flash every 15 s. 16.5 m (54 ft) round brick tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted black with a white horizontal band at the base. Fog siren (five blasts every 60 s). A photo is at right, Alex Chan has a closeup and a view of the station, and Google has a satellite view of the station. Huaniao Shan is the northernmost of the Maan Leidao, a group of islands known in English as the Saddle Group, about 130 km (80 mi) southeast of Shanghai. The lighthouse, an important navigational aid for vessels arriving in Shanghai from the south, was listed by the provincial government as a cultural monument in 1997. There is ferry transportation to the island, and the lighthouse is accessible by road. Located on the northern tip of the island. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PRC-033; CN-2295; Admiralty F3746; NGA 18872.
* Manyutoudao (Manyutou Dao) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); white flash every 12 s (?). 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. A closeup and a more distant photo are available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. This light is missing from the Shanghai MSA list; the Admiralty lists a shorter tower with a directional light. Manyutoudao is at the southeastern end of the Ma'an group, and the lighthouse is on a promontory on the southeastern peninsula of the island. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty F3747.3.

Sijiao Area Lighthouses
Note: Sijiao is the largest of the Shengsi islands and a popular destination for Chinese tourists.
Waimalangshan (Waimalang Shan) (3)
1996 (station established 1952). Active; focal plane 69 m (226 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white tiles. Google has a distant satellite view of the site. Located on a small island about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) off the south coast of Sijiao. CN-2316; Admiralty F3740.03.
Huaniaoshan Light
Huaniaoshan Light
Shengsi County Media Bureau photo
Neimati
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white flash every 1.5 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) round tower, painted white. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the southern coast of Sijiao. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2315.2; Admiralty F3740.025; NGA 18878.5.
Mapigu (Majishan, Ma-chi Shan)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 128 m (420 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 16 m (52 ft) round tower, painted white with narrow red horizontal bands. A distant view and another view are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on Majishan, a small island just off the southwestern tip of Sijiao. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2315.1; Admiralty F3740.02; NGA 18878.
Niu'ejiao (Niu'e Jiao)
2003 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 19.5 m (64 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. A good photo is available, but the reef is barely visible in Google's satellite view. The Shanghai MSA photos, taken during installation of the new lighthouse, also show the earlier pyramidal tower, which was still present as of 2006. Located on an isolated reef about 8 km (5 mi) west southwest of the northwestern point of Sijiao. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-2311; Admiralty F3740.5.
Caoxiepajiao (Caoxiepa Jiao, Nanlong Jiao) (2?)
1996 (station established 1957). Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white tiles. MSA's photo is at right, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located about 2 km (1.25 mi) off the northwestern point of Sijiao. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-2309; Admiralty F3740.7.
Biandan Jiao (Biandanjiao) (Damaofeng Dao)
2004. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); flash every 3 s, white or red depending on direction. 8 m (26 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available. Located at the north end of Damaofeng Island about 600 m (3/8 mi) northwest of Hiyujiao. Site status unknown. Admiralty F3740.8; NGA 18877.5.
Hiyujiao
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); four white flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal skeletal tower with gallery, painted white, mounted on a round concrete pier. Shanghai MSA has a small photo, but the tower is hard to see in Google's satellite view. Located on a reef about 800 m (1/2 mi) west of the Lisijiao lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-2306.1; Admiralty F3740.9.
Caoxiepajiao Light
Caoxiepajiao Light
PRC Maritime Safety Administration photo
Lisijiao (Lisi Jiao)
1955. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 8 m (28 ft) square masonry tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Lisijiao is a reef about 5 km (3 mi) north northeast of the northern point of Sijiao. Located atop the reef. Accessible only by boat, and landing is difficult. Site and tower closed. CN-2306; Admiralty F3741; NGA 18877.
Luandaoshan (Luandao Shan)
2007. Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); quick-flashing white light. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim, including four narrow red vertical stripes. Shanghai MSA has a photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a small island about 7 km (4 mi) northeast of the northern point of Sijiao. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-2306.2; Admiralty F3740.95.
Waijiao (Wai Jiao, Shengsi Waijiao) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a round concrete pier. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Shanghai MSA has a small photo and a page for the former lighthouse, but the reef is barely visible in Google's satellite view. Located on an isolated reef about 15 km (9 mi) northeast of Sijiao. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-2308; Admiralty F3744.
Xiaocaiyuan Shan (2) (?)
Date unknown. Inactive since 2010. Approx. 12 m (93 ft) round tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Daniel Mueller has a photo, a more distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. In January 2010, Shanghai MSA issued a notice to mariners mentioning the "removal" of this light; we don't know if this means it was demolished or deactivated. Located at the end of a 1.25 km (0.8 mi) long breakwater that extends southward from Jinping, a small island northwest of Sijiao; this breakwater creates a large protected harbor on the north side of Sijiao. Site status unknown. CN-2312; Admiralty F3742.
* Huicheng (Weicheng, Beichaoyang) (3)
2006 (station established 1952). Active; focal plane 65 m (213 ft); two flashes every 6 s, white, red or green depending on direction. Approx. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern roof black. A photo is at right, Rochelle Ran has a nice sunrise photo, a 2008 photo and a 2009 closeup are available, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse apparently replaced the 1984 lighthouse shown in the MSA photo. The light guides vessels approaching Weicheng, near the northeastern tip of Sijiao. Site open, tower closed. CN-2313; Admiralty F3743.
Weicheng Light
Weicheng Light, Sijiao, May 2008
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Augapfel

Huanglong Shan Lighthouses
Note: Huanglong Shan is an inhabited island about 5 km (3 mi) southeast of Sijiao.
* Daqianzui Tou (2)
1967 (station established 1957). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. A distant view is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern tip of Huanglong Shan, an inhabited island southeast of Sijiao. MSA says the lighthouse is accessible by a hiking trail. Site open, tower closed. CN-2314; Admiralty F3740.08; NGA 18879.
Dahuanglong
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 91 m (299 ft); white flash every 4 s. 16 m (52 ft) round tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Located at the easternmost point of Huanglong Shan. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2316.1; Admiralty F3740.06; NGA 18879.1.

Bai Jiexia Strait (Bonham Strait) Lighthouses
Note: The Bai Jiexia Strait (known to Western navigators historically as the Bonham Strait) is an important entrance to the Hangzhou gulf passing the south side of Huanglong Shan and Sijiao.
Nandingxing (Nantinghsing)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 129 m (423 ft); three white flashes, in a 2+1 pattern, every 9 s. 16 m (52 ft) round tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Nandingxing is a small island southwest of Huanglong Shan. Located on the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2318.1; Admiralty F3740.055; NGA 18879.5.
Panyangshan (Banyangshan, Banyangjiao, Button Reef)
1904. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 3 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on a white concrete pier. Lighthouse painted black. An MSA photo is at right. Google has a satellite view of the station. Panyang is a dangerous reef in the Bai Jiexia Strait (Bonham Strait). Located about 15 km (9 mi) southwest of the southwestern tip of Huaniao Shan. Accessible only by boat, and landing is difficult. Site and tower closed. CN-2319; Admiralty F3740; NGA 18880.
Panyangshan Light
Panyangshan Light
China Water Transport Press Agency photo
Xiaobanbian (Hsiao-pan-pien) Shan
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 72 m (236 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 16 m (52 ft) round tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view. Xiaobanbian Shan is a rocky pinnacle about 5 km (3 mi) east of Bai Jiexia Shan. Located on the highest point of the islet. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2318.4; Admiralty F3739; NGA 18879.6.
Baijieshan (Pai-Chieh Shan, Bonham Island)
1883. Active; focal plane 75 m (246 ft); flash every 30 s, alternately red and white. 14.5 m (47 ft) round cast iron (?) tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is at right, another fine closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. Baijieshan is a small island in the eastern portion of the Bai Jiexia Strait (Bonham Strait). Located at the highest point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS PRC-003; CN-2320; Admiralty F3738; NGA 18884.
Bitoujiao (Bitou Jiao) (3)
2005 (station established 1954). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with purple trim; lantern painted purple. Shanghai MSA has several photos, but its page for the lighthouse shows the smaller 1989 tower. The reef is barely visible in Google's satellite view. Located on an isolated rock about 25 km (15 mi) southwest of Sijiao. CN-2321.

Qiqu Islands (Yangshan Area) Lighthouses
Note: The Qiqu Islands (Qiqu Leidao) lie in the northern part of Hangzhou Bay about 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Sijiao and a similar distance southeast of the mainland. In order to provide better deep-water port facilities for Shanghai, construction began in 2001 for a major port facility in the Qiqu Islands capable of berthing the world's largest ships. This port, Yangshan, is connected to the mainland by the 32.5 km (20.2 mi) long Donghai Bridge, completed in 2005.
Huxiaoshedao (Huxiaoshe Dao)
2006. Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); white flash every 4 s. 14 m (46 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. Shanghai MSA has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island at the east end of the Qiqu group, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) east of Shaojidao. Site status unknown. CN-2326.5; Admiralty F3717.78.
Baijieshan Light
Baijieshan Light
Shengsi County Media Bureau photo
Xima'anshandao (Xima'anshan Dao)
2006. Active; focal plane 99 m (325 ft); white flash every 5 s. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Shanghai MSA has a photo, a distant view is available, and Google has a good satellite view. This light serves as a landfall lighthouse for the port of Yangshan. Located atop a small island about 3 km (2 mi) southeast of Shaojidao and the same distance southwest of Huxiaoshedao. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2328; Admiralty F3718.
Shaojidao (Shaoji Dao)
2006. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. Shanghai MSA has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the south end of Shaojidao, an island near the east end of Qiqu group. Site status unknown. CN-2326.3; Admiralty F3717.74.
Gongshan (Gong Shan)
2005. Active; focal plane 100 m (328 ft); white flash every 10 s. Tall steel tower topped by a round structure with gallery carrying a radar antenna. The lighthouse is silvery metallic. Shanghai MSA has a small photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located atop a steep rock above Yangshan. Site status unknown, probably closed. CN-2325.1; Admiralty F3717.755.
Tangnaoshan (Southwest Horn) (3)
1996 (station established 1907). Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 23 m (75 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, centered on a 1-story concrete keeper's cottage. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. A photo is at right, and Google has a good satellite view. The original lighthouse had a lantern mounted on the roof of a keeper's cottage; it was replaced in 1990 by a similar but larger structure. Tangnaoshan is an isolated rock in Hangzhou Bay at the western end of the Qiqu group. Accessible only by boat, and landing is difficult. Site and tower closed. CN-2324; Admiralty F3717; NGA 18892.
Xiaowugui (2)
1969 (station established 1955). Active; focal plane 30.5 m (100 ft); white flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, covered with ceramic tiles in black and white horizontal bands. April Cheeh has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a rock in Hangzhou Bay just west of the southern end of the main span of the Donghai Bridge and about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of the Tangnaoshan lighthouse. Accessible only by boat, and landing is difficult. Site and tower closed. CN-2323; Admiralty F3717.5; NGA 18888.
Tangnaoshan Light
Tangnaoshan Light
Shengsi County Media Bureau photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Jiangsu and Shanghai | South: Daishan Islands

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Posted May 12, 2008. Checked and revised May 23, 2012. Lighthouses: 29. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.