Lighthouses of China: Central Fujian (Putian and Quanzhou)

The Chinese province of Fujian (formerly spelled Fukien or Fuchien) is located on the southeastern coast of the country, facing Taiwan across the Taiwan (Formosa) Strait. The coastline is rugged and irregular, with many islands and reefs threatening unwary navigators. This page covers the two prefectural-level cities of Putian and Quanzhou on the central coast of the province.

The Wuqiu (Wuchiu or Matsu) Islands off the coast of Putian and the Chinmen (Kinmen or Quemoy) Islands to the south of Quanzhou have been under the administration of the Republic of China government on Taiwan since 1949. The lighthouses of Chinmen and Wuqiu are described on the Matsu and Kinmen page.

Lighthouses in China are maintained by the PRC Maritime Safety Administration. The administration is organized in four regional administrations, with district offices in the major ports. All the lights on this page are maintained by the Xiamen MSA office, which is part of the Shanghai Region. 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 the serial numbers used by the Shanghai regional office of MSA. 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
Light Query Results
This is part of a long light list for all of China posted by the Shanghai MSA office. As of July 2012, listings for this area began on page 127 of the list.
East China Sea Navigation Aids
Additional lighthouse data posted by the Shanghai Region office of the MSA.
Lighthouse Information
Pages for 10 major lighthouses posted by the Xiamen 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.

Yongningzui Light
Yongningzui Light, Shishi
PRC Maritime Safety Administration Xiamen Office photo

Putian Prefecture Lighthouses

Xiuyu District Lighthouses
Shicheng Dayu
2005. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) hexagonal white concrete tower. No photo available, and the light is apparently too recent to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island in the passage between Nanridao (Nanri Island) and the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-3050.6; Admiralty F3627.911.
Shicheng Dongweijiao (Dongwei Jiao) (2)
2006 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); white flash every 4 s. 11.5 m (37 ft) hexagonal cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. A photo is available (near the bottom of the page, right photo in second row), but the light is apparently too recent to appear in Google's satellite view. Located just off the eastern tip of the Daitou peninsula, at the southern entrance to the passage between Nanridao (Nanri Island) and the mainland. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-3051; Admiralty F3627.91.
Nanridaoxi (West Nanri Island) (2)
1984 (station established 1956). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); four white flashes every 12 s. 8 m (26 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. Google has a distant satellite view. Nanri is an inhabited island about 12 km (7.5 mi) long on the south side of the Xinghua Channel. Located on a small island off the western tip of Nanridao. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-3050; Admiralty F3627.92.
Yangyu
2005. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower. No photo available, and the light is apparently too recent to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on an island off the southern tip of Nanridao. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-3053.1; Admiralty F3627.908.
Jianyu (Pinghai Wan) (Arrow Island) (2)
1993 (station established 1964). Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 12.5 m (41 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. An external stairway winds around the tower. Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a small island off the southeast tip of the Daitou peninsula, about 7 km (4 mi) southeast of the fishing port of Pinghai. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-3052; Admiralty F3627.9.
Xieyu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21.5 m (71 ft); white flash every 6 s. 10.5 m (34 ft) hexagonal stone tower, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google's satellite view does not reveal the tower. Located on the northern tip of an island in southern Pengting (Fengting) Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3055.1; Admiralty F3627.73.
Niushijiao
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16.5 m (54 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google's satellite view does not reveal the tower. Located on an island in southern Pengting (Fengting) Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3055.8; Admiralty F3627.72.
Huiyu (Hengyu) (4)
1990 (station established 1957). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) round hourglass-shaped concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse covered with ceramic tiles and colored in red and white horizontal bands. The tiles were added in 1994. The light is not conspicuous in a Google satellite view. Located on a small island in the entrance to Pengting (Fengting) Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3056; Admiralty F3627.71.
Xiwudanduo (Xiwudao, Wushi Reef) (2)
1969 (station established 1956). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) hexagonal cylindrical tower covered with white tile. (The light appears to rise from a the remins of a round tower, probably the base of the original lighthouse). Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a rocky reef off the harbor of Dongpuzhen. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3059; Admiralty F3627.66.
Jianyu Light
Jianyu Light, Xiuyu
PRC MSA Shanghai Region photo
Menxiayu (Menxia Yu)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google's satellite view does not reveal the tower. Located on an island off the southern tip of the Dongpuzhen peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3059.55; Admiralty F3627.65.
Bainiu Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); quick-flashing white light. 10 m (33 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available, and the light does not appear in Google's satellite view. Located about 3.5 km (2.25 mi) off the mainland, southwest of the Dongpuzhen peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-3060; Admiralty F3627.641.
Bainu Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 21 m (69 ft) skeletal tower. No photo available, but the light is barely visible in Google's satellite view. Located about 2.5 km (1.55 mi) off the mainland, southwest of the Dongpuzhen peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-3060.01; Admiralty F3627.642.
Dazhudao (Dazhu Dao) Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); quick-flashing white light. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a distant satellite view. Located on a rock off the south coast of the island of Dazhudao, northeast of the Dongzhou peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-3059.07; Admiralty F3627.625.
Dazhudao (Dazhu Dao) Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and the light is not seen in Google's satellite view. Located on the southeast coast of Dazhudao. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-3059.08; Admiralty F3627.626.
Dadengyu (Ta-tien Hsu, Sorrel Rock) (3)
1993 (station established 1961). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. MSA's photo is at right, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view of the reef. Located on an isolated islet in the Formosa Strait about 5 km (3 mi) east of Meizhoudao. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3058; Admiralty F3627.82.
Dadengyu Light
Dadengyu Light, Xiuyu
PRC MSA Shanghai Region photo

Quanzhou Prefecture Lighthouses

Hui'an County Lighthouses
Huanggandao (Huang-kan Hsu) (3)
1989 (station established 1956). Active; focal plane 23 m (69 ft); red flash every 4 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) cylindrical tower with gallery, the lower portion round and the upper portion square. Lighthouse painted white. Google has a distant satellite view. The base of the second (1969) lighthouse, a square stone tower, also survives at this station. Located on a small island just off a promontory of the mainland north of Xiaozuo. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3063; Admiralty F3627.61.
Shanlongyu (Shanlong Yu)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24.5 m (80 ft); white flash every 4 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round concrete tower, colored with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and the light is apparently too recent to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island about 2 km (1.25 mi) northeast of the Jianyu lighthouse (next entry). Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3063.01; Admiralty F3627.55.
Jianyu (4)
1984 (station established 1958). Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) cylindrical 2-stage tower with gallery, the lower portion round and the upper portion octagonal. Lighthouse covered with ceramic tiles colored in black and white horizontal bands. Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet off the promontory of the mainland known as Gulai Point, about 5 km (3 mi) east of Xiaozuo. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3064; Admiralty F3627.5; NGA 19137.
Jianyu Southwest
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 66 m (216 ft); white flash every 10 s. 16.5 m (54 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse probably covered with ceramic tiles colored in red and white horizontal bands. No photo available, but Google has a satellite view that apparently caught the early stage of construction of this new lighthouse. Located about 500 m (0.3 mi) southwest of the earlier lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3064.1; Admiralty F3627.52.
Qingyu (Quanzhou Wan) (3)
1998 (station established 1962). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on an islet off the harbor of the fishing port of Dazuo. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3065; Admiralty F3627.2.
Dazuoyan (Dazou)
2000. Active; focal plane 75 m (246 ft); white flash every 15 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is covered with ceramic tiles colored in red and white vertical stripes; the gallery is white and the lantern is painted red. The Xiamen MSA office's photo is at right, Shanghai MSA also has a page for the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. This new lighthouse was built as a landfall light for Quanzhou. A giant statue nearby also attracts visitors. Located on Dazuojiao (Pyramid Point), a high promontory on the north side of the Quanzhou estuary, about 3 km (2 mi) east of Dazuo. Accessible by road. Site status unknown, possibly open. CN-3066; Admiralty F3627; NGA 19141.
Dazuoyan Light
Dazuoyan Light
PRC Maritime Safety Administration Xiamen Office photo
Guiyu (2)
1984 (station established 1964). Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); two red flashes every 10 s. 6.5 m (21 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with ceramic tiles colored in red and white vertical stripes. The shadow of the tower is visible in a Google satellite view. Located on an islet off the south harbor of the fishing port of Dazuo. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3068; Admiralty F3625.8.
Nanyangyu
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); white flash every 2 s. 6.5 m (21 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, covered with tile colored in green and white horizontal bands. No photo available, and Google has only a fuzzy satellite view. Located on a small island about 8 km (5 mi) west of Chongwuzhen. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-3068.5; Admiralty F3625.4.

Quanzhou City (Fengze District) Lighthouses
Niaoyu (Wuyu, Bird Island) (2)
1963 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 6.5 m (22 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with ceramic tiles colored white with one black horizontal band. Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet in the entrance to Quanzhou Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3070; Admiralty F3625; NGA 19148.
Xiaozhuidaobeijiao (Xiaozhuidao North Reef) (3)
1993 (station established 1961). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red flash every 1.5 s. 12.5 m (41 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted red. The lower portion of the tower is surrounded by a unpainted stone stairway. Google has a satellite view. The rather formidable name of this lighthouse translates as "Slightly North of the Island Reef." The second (1973) light here collapsed in 1991. Located on a reef nearly in the center of the entrance to Quanzhou Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3073; Admiralty F3621.4.
Xiaozhuidao South Reef Outbound Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 24.5 m (80 ft); white light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 9.5 m (31 ft) square concrete tower covered with white ceramic tile. No photo available, and the light is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island in the center of the entrance to Quanzhou Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3075; Admiralty F3621.61.
Xiaozhuidao South Reef Outbound Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); quick-flashing white light. 9 m (30 ft) square concrete tower covered with white ceramic tile. No photo available, and the light is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on a small island in the center of the entrance to Quanzhou Bay, about 400 m (1/4 mi) west of the rear light. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3074; Admiralty F3621.6.
Gangxingjiao
2010. Active; focal plane 9.5 m (31 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower, painted black with a red horizontal band. No photo available, and the light is too new to appear in Google's satellite view. Located on a reef a short distance south of the Xiaozhuidao range lights. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-3075.6; Admiralty F3621.22.

Shishi City Lighthouses
Xiangzhijiao (5)
1993 (station established 1956). Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); three white flashes every 15 s. 16 m (52 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, centered on a 1-story hexagonal concrete equipment room. The lighthouse is covered with ceramic tiles colored in red and white vertical stripes. A photo is at right, the Shanghai MSA also has a page for the lighthouse, a distant view is available, and the tower is centered in Google's satellite view. Located on the promontory on the south side of the entrance to Quanzhou Bay in Shishi, about 2 km (1.25 mi) east of Xiangzhi. Accessible by road. Site status unknown, possibly open. CN-3095; Admiralty F3620.8; NGA 19150.
Yongningzui (Yudongyu) (4)
1995 (station established 1954). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white flash every 6 s. 18.5 m (61 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, centered on a 1-story square concrete equipment room. The lighthouse is covered with ceramic tiles colored in red and white horizontal bands. Shanghai MSA also has a page for the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet just off Yongning Point, marking the entrance to Shenhu Wan, a shallow bay about halfway between Quanzhou and Xiamen. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3096; Admiralty F3620.45.
Xiangshijiao Light
Xiangzhijiao Light
PRC MSA Xiamen Office photo
Shenhuniuweiyu (Shenhu Wan, Qinzaiyu) (3)
1984 (station established 1961). Active; focal plane 14.5 m (47 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 6.5 m (21 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet marking the southern entrance to Shenhu Wan. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-3097; Admiralty F3620.4; NGA 19150.4.

Jinjiang County Lighthouses
Zhongwaiyu (Nanwei) (2)
1984 (station established 1958). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet off a sharp promontory about 8 km (5 mi) northeast of Weitou. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3099; Admiralty F3620.3.
Weitoujiao (Wugantou) (3)
1995 (station established 1962). Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); white flash every 2 s. 16 m (52 ft) hexagonal cylindrical brick tower with gallery, centered on a 1-story hexagonal brick equipment room. The lighthouse is covered with black ceramic tiles. The Xiamen MSA Office photo is at right, Shanghai MSA also has a page for the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse overlooks a channel about 13 km (8 mi) wide that separates the mainland from the island of Chinmen (Kinmen, or Quemoy as it was formerly known in the West). Located on an islet just off Weitou Point (Weitoujiao)., marking the entrance to the Yongning estuary. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3100; Admiralty F3620.2.
Baiyang (2)
1984 (station established 1954). Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white flash every 4 s. This is or was an 8 m (26 ft) round concrete tower. The MSA page has the notation "photo to be changed," so its not clear what the lighthouse looks like today. Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Weitoujiao. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3101; Admiralty F3620.25; NGA 19150.6.
Guanchaijiao (2)
2009 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); white flash every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) hexagonal concrete tower, painted with green and white horizontal bands. No photo available; Google's satellite view shows the earlier tower. Located on a reef in the northern part of Weitou Bay, about 800 m (1/2 mi) off the mainland coast near Shijing. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3107; Admiralty F3619.1.
Fenliujiao (3)
2004 (station established 1954). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. The lower portion of the tower is surrounded by a unpainted stone stairway. Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef in the northern part of Weitou Bay, about 3 km (2 mi) off the mainland coast near Shijing. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3105; Admiralty F3619.
Neipan (3)
2003 (station established 1954). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. The lower portion of the tower is surrounded by a unpainted stone stairway. Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef in the middle of Weitou Bay, about 7 km (4.5 mi) north of the northernmost point of Chinmen. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. CN-3104; Admiralty F3619.2.
Weitoujiao Light
Weitoujiao Light
PRC Maritime Safety Administration Xiamen Office photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Northern Fujian | East: Matsu and Kinmen | South: Southern Fujian

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Posted July 28, 2008. Checked and revised July 19, 2012. Lighthouses: 37. Site copyright 2012 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.