Check out the Extended Version with fun facts about the Baisha lighthouse here – https://youtu.be/12VhSPODHSk
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The Baishajia Lighthouse (https://goo.gl/maps/BGhGCH2GJ5cok3Ee8) 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.
白沙架燈塔位於觀音海岸。在台中港燈塔之前，它是台灣最西端的燈塔。周圍有環形步道，遊客還可以遊覽觀音濱海遊樂區。白沙架燈塔的雪白塔在藍天碧海中顯得格外醒目。1901年點亮，日治時期已是台灣著名景點。歷經百餘年，於2001年被文化部選為“台灣百處古蹟”之一。燈塔的主體建築、城牆和日治時期建造的晷器，被公佈為次年為桃園第一縣志。它是日本佔領以來最完整的燈塔。
白沙架燈塔高約37米，僅次於墾丁鵝鑾鼻燈塔。燈塔最獨特的地方在於它是用紅磚和石頭建造的，與台灣其他的水泥燈塔不同。晚清時，燈塔設備大部分是從英法進口的。製造商先將塔身、燈具等部件澆鑄成型，然後運至指定地點進行組裝。整個過程花了三年時間，但白沙家燈塔不是用鑄鐵做的，而是用日本人所說的“磚石”。雙層磚石使結構抗震。圓形塔由糯米、紅糖和石灰混合製成。另一方面，燈塔的上部，被建造為使用大石頭支撐鑄鐵頂部重量的支架。經過第二次世界大戰和多次地震和颱風，它經受住了考驗，沒有受到嚴重破壞。
燈塔至今仍屹立不倒，照耀著台灣海峽，守護著海上的船隻。塔的結構和內部設施仍然存在並跨越了一個世紀。同時，日占時期所建的日晷仍保存完好。它可以根據太陽投下的陰影來判斷時間、方向和緯度，曾經是確定何時打開和關閉燈塔燈的重要儀器。除此之外，還有一個上海機械局製作的時鐘，還有一棵可以追溯到日本佔領時期的百年楝樹，至今仍矗立在花園中。
台灣海峽的這盞明燈，就在安靜的環境中。除了橫跨小溪、稻田和池塘的小橋外，周圍還有木棧道和有風的蔭涼小徑。燈塔本身就是一個完美的畫面。騎自行車的人可以將自行車停在路邊，然後步行進入公園。
燈塔內設有導覽室，可讓遊客進一步了解燈塔內的設施。燈塔周圍環繞著環形人行道、公園、涼亭和遊樂場。觀音河沿岸還有一條登山步道。除了在小橋、稻田和池塘下流淌的水外，遊客還可以在觀音海邊俯瞰著名的風車。燈塔前的廣場和觀音河上的拱橋是拍婚紗照的好地方。
https://travel.tycg.gov.tw/en/travel/attraction/1024 #sonneillon