Baishajia Lighthouse 白沙岬燈塔

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Baishajia Lighthouse located in Guanyin District of Taoyuan is a prominent historical monument in the area. Built in 1901 during the Japanese era, it survived allied bombings and still operates for nearby ships to this day. The area around the lighthouse is also open for the public to enjoy. 

Historical Background:
​Taoyuan's coastline has been a major fishing area for centuries. To aid with local boats as well as military operations, the Japanese chose the coastal area in Guanyin as a suitable location for a lighthouse. Construction for the lighthouse was planned in 196, shortly after the Japanese took control of Taiwan. Typhoons and local thieves hindered the construction. The lighthouse was finally completed in 1901.
The Baishajia Lighthouse uses a rotating lens electric lamp, which is the largest of all  lighthouses in Taiwan. The rotation of the lens is facilitated by a mercury trough.
Every 20 seconds, there it emits a flash of white light followed by a flash of red light (each shining for 0.23 seconds with 9.77 seconds of darkness). The nominal range of the white light is 25.7 nautical miles, and 22.6 nautical miles for the red light. 
During the early days of the Japanese colonial period, the lighthouse used a third-order rotating lens kerosene lamp manufactured in France, and the copper plate with the inscription "Babbier & Benard Constructeurs, Paris, 1897" which is still in use today.
During WWII, an Allied aircraft shot down by anti-aircraft guns crashed near the lighthouse, damaging its upper half. Repairs to the lighthouse were completed in 1946, and the height was reduced slightly to 27.7 meters. 

Price:
Free

Hours:
9 AM to 5 PM every day except Mondays

Where to stay:
Looking for a hotel in Taoyuan? We recommend the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport which has great service and is conveniently located right next to Taoyuan Airport, the MRT, and HSR station (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).  
We also recommend the Fullon Hotel Taoyuan which also has great service and is located in downtown Taoyuan City (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).  
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Activities in Taoyuan:
Ice Skating, Rock Climbing, Mountain Climbing, Cycling, High Ropes, Ziplining, Archery, Vietnamese BBQ, Batting Cages, Glamping, Van Camping, Photo Shoot, Turkish Mosaic DIY, Thai Massage, Painting, Baking, Go Karting, Imax Theater, Japanese Style Buffet, Tourist Factory Experience, peach and fruit picking, Ring-making DIY, handmade popsicle DIY, and more on on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

How to get there:
By Car: Take Expressway 61 to Taoyuan and take the 44 Taoke (桃科) exit. The lighthouse is right next to the expressway near the exit on the northeast side. There is limited free parking near the harbor, and also paid parking nearby. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search  Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. 
By Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 15 south from Taipei and then turn right onto highway 38 at Xucuo. The lighthouse is right next to the expressway near the exit on the northeast side.
Looking for scooter rental in Taoyuan? Search Klook here or KKday here to look for options.
By Bus: From Zhongli TRA Station, you can take bus 5033 west to the harbor. You can book tickets to travel to Taoyuan via inter-city bus on Klook here. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By Bicycle: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan's landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 
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Map:
See below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Baishajia Lighthouse once, but I have passed it many times along Expressway 61 and always wanted to visit. Unfortunately, the one time we visited it was after 5 PM and the gates were closed. Hopefully, we can visit again during the day time and get some better photos. 

The road to the lighthouse is narrow and only one lane wide. It was scary at night. 

There is a parking lot and a bathroom here. 

View of the lighthouse at night. 

Map of the area. The park around the lighthouse is pretty big. 

Wider view. 

Another view of the lighthouse. 

Architecture of the lighthouse explanation.

History of the lighthouse. See our summary above for more information. 

Map of the area. 

Also in front of the lighthouse they have these concrete models of every lighthouse in Taiwan. This one is Yuweng Island Lighthouse (漁翁島燈塔) in Penghu...(see our blog on the lighthouse here)

This one is Hua Islet Lighthouse (花嶼燈塔) in Penghu.

This one is ​Eluanbi Cape Lighthouse 鵝鑾鼻燈塔 in Kenting. Check out our blog about it here. 

This one is the Sandiao Cape 三貂角 lighthouse. Check out our blog on it here. 

This one is the Bitou Cape Lighthouse. Check out our blog on Bitou Cape here. 

This one is the Fugui Cape Lighthouse. Check out our blog on it here. 

And finally Baishajia Lighthouse itself here. 

There are many other activities available in Taoyuan such as Ice Skating, Rock Climbing, Mountain Climbing, High Ropes, Ziplining, Archery, Batting Cages, Glamping, Go Karting, peach and fruit picking, and more on Klook here, or KKday here. 

Check out our full guide to Taoyuan here.

You can also check out our full guide to Taiwan here. ​

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