Kaohsiung Lighthouse 高雄燈塔
Kaohsiung Lighthouse, also known as Cihou Lighthouse and Cijin Lighthouse, is located at the top of Cihou Mountain in Cijin District, Kaohsiung. The year 1860 marked the end of the Second Anglo-Chinese War, forcing the Qing Dynasty emperor to sign a treaty allowing several ports to be constructed in the previously off-limits Taiwan. These four ports included Danshui, Jilong, Anping, and Dagou (the name Kaohsiung used until the early 1900s).
The construction of a lighthouse was proposed in 1864 when the port of Dagou was officially opened. As ships came in and out of the harbor more frequently, traditional Chinese navigation aids, such as light poles or flag poles, no longer met the demands of the times, and shipwrecks were common. As the sugar industry grew, the Dagou port became more prominent, making the need for a lighthouse apparent.
In 1883, a British technician was hired to build a lighthouse at the northern tip of Cihou Mountain. When Taiwan fell under Japanese colonial rule in 1895, the harbor's significance increased. By 1916, the port was becoming one of the world’s most important maritime hubs, prompting the Japanese government to renovate the lighthouse. The project was completed in 1918, and to this day, the lighthouse maintains its original exterior appearance.
The eye-catching octagonal structure stands eleven meters tall, with a white exterior and black roof. It includes a cylindrical, floor-to-ceiling windowed lantern room, European-style offices, an antique sundial on the lawn, and a wrap-around balcony offering panoramic views. The anemoscope on the roof features directions inscribed in Chinese, which was rare during Japanese colonial rule.
Its equipment, however, has undergone several upgrades since then. Its current fourth-order, 85,000 candlepower rotating Fresnel lens continues to function 24 hours a day. Overlooking Kaohsiung Harbor from this elevated vantage point, landmarks such as the 85 Building, Kaohsiung Music Center, and Great Harbor Bridge are all in full view. On the opposite side, you can see National Sun Yat-sen University and Shoushan.
高雄燈塔，又稱旗後燈塔或旗津燈塔，位於高雄市旗津區旗後山頂。 1860 年的英法聯軍逼迫清廷政府簽下條約，允許在先前被禁止通航的台灣地區建造幾個港口。這四個港口包括淡水港、雞籠(基隆)港、安平港和打狗(高雄)港（高雄市的名稱一直沿用到20世紀初）。
1864年，打狗港正式開港，燈塔的建造計畫應運而生。隨著船隻進出港口的頻繁，燈桿、旗桿等傳統的中國導航設施已不再符合時代需要，船難事故頻繁。隨著製糖業的發展，打狗港的地位日益提升，燈塔的需求也日益凸顯。
遂於 1883 年聘請一位英國技師在旗後山北端建造燈塔。 1895 年台灣淪為日本殖民統治後，港口的重要性日益凸顯。到了 1916 年，高雄港已成為世界最重要的海上樞紐之一，促使日本政府對燈塔進行修繕。工程於 1918 年完工，至今燈塔仍保留其原貌。
這座引人注目的八角形燈塔，建築高 11 公尺，白色外牆，黑色屋頂。建築內設有圓柱形落地窗燈室、歐式辦公室、草坪上有一座古董日晷，以及可欣賞全景的環繞式陽台。屋頂上的風向儀上書寫有漢字─東、西、南、北標示方向，在日本殖民統治時期實屬罕見。
戰後燈塔的外觀並無太大變化，燈光設備多次更換，目前已換裝為新式四等旋轉透鏡電燈，光力增強為 85 萬支燭光，以利高雄港維持 24 小時航運。在這高地上俯瞰高雄港，高雄地標如85大樓、高雄流行音樂中心及大港橋都盡收眼底，另一邊則可眺望中山大學以及後頭的壽山。
How do we get up to the mountain to see the lighthouse? We took the ferry at Gushan Ferry Pier Station. Before boarding, we went for a stroll at the Gushan Fish Market. This fish market covers an area of more than 600 ping and was once the first modern fishing port in Kaohsiung. In 2021, the Kaohsiung City Government invested 140 million NTD to renovate and revitalize the space, which reopened with great fanfare in October 2022.
We visited this bright and spacious fish market in April 2023 and found it quite pleasant, though somewhat deserted. Unexpectedly, on September 4, 2023, due to declining crowds, it was announced that the market would close for three months to seek new merchants.
怎麼上山看燈塔？我們在鼓山輪渡站坐渡輪。登船前，我們先去鼓山魚市場逛了逛。這座魚市佔地六百多坪，曾是高雄第一個現代化漁港。 2021年，高雄市府斥資 1.4 億新台幣整修活化空間，並於 2022 年 10 月隆重重新開放。
2023 年 4 月，我們參觀了這個寬敞明亮的魚市，覺得蠻舒服的，但是感覺略顯冷清。不料，2023 年 9月 4 日，由於客流減少，魚市宣布「封館 3 個月重新招商」。
It takes only 5 minutes to get to Cijin by ferry from Gushan Ferry Station. The scenery is nice.
從鼓山輪渡站坐渡輪到旗津只要5分鐘，班次很多，風景也不錯。
The road to the lighthouse seemed a bit challenging, but by walking slowly and enjoying the sights along the way, we eventually reached our destination.
上燈塔的路看起來有些挑戰性，但一路上慢慢走，邊走邊看也就到目的地了。
Cihou Fort 旗後砲臺
From Kaohsiung Lighthouse, we took a different route to Cihou Fort, a national monument of historical, artistic, and scientific value. Cihou Mountain is the gateway to Kaohsiung Harbor. After the Japanese punitive expedition to Taiwan in 1874, the Qing Dynasty sent Shen Bao-chen, the Minister of Ship Administration, to Taiwan for naval defense. In the first year of the Guangxu reign (1875), he built a fortress on the mountain combining Chinese and Western styles, which was completed the following year.
The fort was divided into three areas: the barracks, the command area, and the drill ground, where four British-made cannons were placed, reflecting the military strategies of the Qing Dynasty. The main gate of Cihou Fort is a Chinese-style eight-wall gate, distinguished by the Chinese character "囍" (Double Happiness) built in bricks on both sides of the gate.
During the Battle of Yiwei in 1895, the Japanese army occupied the undefended Cihou Fort. By the end of Japanese rule, the cannons were dismantled and melted down, leaving the fort in ruins. After World War II in 1945, the National Army built another bunker between the battery and the lighthouse.
In 1985, Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior designated Cihou Fort as a Grade II monument. In 2019, the Ministry of Culture upgraded it to a national monument. Climbing to the high wall of the fort, you can see Cijin Beach on one side, the cityscape with houses stacked like blocks on the other, and the Seahorse Embankment—a popular spot for watching the sunset.
從高雄燈塔出發，我們另闢蹊徑，前往旗後砲台。這個國定古蹟有其歷史、藝術及科學價值。旗後山為扼守高雄港進出的咽喉，清同治 13 年 (1874) 在日軍入侵牡丹社事件之後，清政府派船政大臣沈葆楨來臺辦理海防事務，於光緒元年 (1875) 在旗後山上興建一座中西合璧的砲臺，於次年完工。
砲台分三區：兵房、指揮區、操練場，其上安置四門英製砲，見證清領末期的戰防思考。「旗後砲臺」之正門為中國式建築風格之八字牆，而門牆兩邊用磚砌的「囍」字，為其特色。
光緒21年 (1895) 乙未之役，日軍占領無人防守的旗後砲台。日治末期，大砲被拆走、熔毀，旗後砲臺成為斷垣殘壁。1945 年二戰後，國軍於砲臺及燈塔之間另築碉堡。
1985 年台灣省內政部公告為二級古跡。2019 年文化部公告升格為國定古蹟。登上砲台高牆，一邊可眺望旗津海水浴場，另一邊可看到房屋堆疊如積木的城市景觀，在這裡也可眺望形狀類似海馬的「海馬堤防」，一個看夕陽的熱點。
After walking down the hill from Cihou Fort, we arrived at Cijin Beach. We had planned to go to Old Street for seafood, but the store we wanted to visit was closed, so we headed back home.
從旗後砲臺繼續往山下走，就到了旗津海水浴場。原想去老街吃海鮮，想去的店公休，只好打道回府。
As I research information around the Cijin area, I come across a blog called “Spiritual Travels” by Nick Kembel. There is a good post “A Travel Guide to Cijin, Kaohsiung’s Port Island District” written in English. It is a good resource for non-Chinese readers.
當我在搜尋旗津地區的資料時，我看到了 Nick Kembel 寫的一個名為「精神旅行」的部落格。有一篇很好的英文文章《高雄港島區旗津旅遊指南》。 對於非中文讀者來說這是一個很好的資源。
References 參考資料
- 高雄旅遊網: 高雄燈塔(旗津旗后燈塔)
- 維基百科: 高雄燈塔
- 高雄市政府新聞局: Cihou Lighthouse/旗後燈塔
- 維基百科: 旗後礮臺
- 高雄市政府文化局: 旗後砲台
- 國家文化資產網: 旗後礮臺
Other Kaohsiung related post 其他高雄相關的帖子
- Kaohsiung - 85 Sky Tower, Kaohsiung Music Center, Pier-2 Art Center (高雄85大樓, 高雄流行音樂中心, 駁二藝術特區)
- Kaohsiung - Great Harbor Bridge, Echo Across the Harbor, Banana Pier, KW2 (大港橋, 大港迴聲, 香蕉碼頭, 棧貳庫)
- Kaohsiung - Love River, Restaurants (愛河, 餐館)
Other Travel/Point of Interest Links 其他旅遊景點連結