Eluanbi Cape Lighthouse 鵝鑾鼻燈塔

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Eluanbi Lighthouse is a nice place to relax on the very southern tip of Taiwan in Kenting National Park. It is surrounded by grassy park and hiking trails through tropical forests with coral rocks. It is also within walking distance the most southern tip of the island of Taiwan on Cape Eluanbi. It is a must visit place for travelers to Taiwan. 

Background:
The lighthouse is named after Cape Eluanbi, the most southern point of Taiwan. The lighthouse is also know as the light of East Asia because it is the brightest lighthouse in Taiwan. It was constructed in 1883 during the Qing Dynasty. At the time, 500 soldiers were sent to protect the lighthouse against native Paiwan aboriginal tribesmen. The lighthouse served as a fort also. 
Later the lighthouse was damaged by Qing Officials as they lost control of the island, and the Empire of Japan later repaired the lighthouse. 
The lighthouse was then damaged by allied bombing raids.
After WWII, the ROC rebuilt the lighthouse again, and it was opened to the public in 1982.

Price:
60 NT per person
You can book discount tickets to the lighthouse park on KKday here. 

Hours:
Roughly 7 AM to 6 PM, varying depending on the season. 

When to go:
Probably spring or fall are the best times to go, because during the summer it can get really hot and there is not much shade around. Winter is also colder and very windy.

How to get there:
By Bus: Take bus 9188 from Hengchun to Eluanbi Bus stop. It take about an hour to get there. You can book tickets to Pingtung via high speed rail (HSR)  on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. 
By Car/Scooter: Drive south on provincial highway 26 until you reach Eluanbi Park. There is paid parking right next to the park entrance. 
Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search here. 

Accommodation:
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Kenting, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, Hotels.com here, Expedia here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Hotels.com here, or Expedia here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, Hotels.com, or Expedia for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. 
You can also book Wifi and SIM cards for Taiwan on Gigago here.  

Tours and Activities in Kenting:
There are many activities available such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. 
You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. 

Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you, and you can help support our blog. You can click here to receive $5 USD on your first Klook purchase. 

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Eluanbi Park about three times. It is definitely a must stop in Taiwan because it is the most southern point of the island. 

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For a full view of the area, check out our drone footage above. 

We visited on a busy day in 2020, and it was hot.

Before entering the park, you must pass through a hall of souvenirs, a tourist trap if I ever saw one. 

There is also Baoan Temple nearby.

Another view of the temple. 

Admission is 60 NT per person. 
You can book discount tickets to the lighthouse park on KKday here. 

There is a beautiful grass area in front of the lighthouse, but it can get hot fast. Bring some cover or sunscreen. 

There are some palm trees which provide some shade. 

Which are quickly taken over by people. 

Path to the lighthouse. 

View in front of the lighthouse. 

"The Symbol of Kenting National Park"
"The symbol of Kenting National Park is comprised of a blue sky white clouds, mountains, and ocean. 
The symbol indicates that Kenting National Park areas cover both land and sea and that the weather is warm year round."

View of the peninsula to the north. 

Eluanbi stone tablet. 

Entrance to the light house. 

"The Eluanbi Lighthouse"
"Since 1867, lots of shipwreck accidents have occurred along the coast of the Hengchun Peninsula, therefore the Qing Court entrusted members of the Royal Geological Society to prospect for a suitable place to build a lighthouse. Under the supervision of English Engineers, Eluanbi Lighthouse was built in 1882. To prevent foreigners from colluding with aborigines, the lighthouse was equipped with a moat, cannons, and a surrounding wall with loopholes for firing. Soldiers were sent to guard it, making it one of the few fortified lighthouses in the world.
The lighthouse was blown up by retreating Qing Soldiers in 1895 and was rebuilt by the Japanese in 1898. It was heavily bombed during WWI and was rebuilt after the restoration of Taiwan. Now it is a well-preserved historical site within Kenting National Park. With an luminosity 1.8 million candle power, Eluanbi Lighthouse is the most powerful lighthouse in Taiwan and has been known as the "Beacon of East Asia."

Corridor inside the lighthouse.

Model of the lighthouse, on the firt floor.

Historical photos. 

View north from the lighthouse.

Another view of the lighthouse. 

Old dormitory that was off limits.

Side wall.

View of the front of the lighthouse.

See above for more drone photos of the area. 

If you walk further south through the forest you will come to the most southern point in Taiwan.

Taiwan's most southern point looks like this and is mainly just coral rock.

You can walk out and touch the water, but be careful.

There are many activities available such as snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. 
You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our full guide to Kenting here.
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You can also check out our full guide to Pingtung here, and can also check out our full travel guide to Taiwan here. ​

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