Lighthouses of China: Shàntóu, Guǎngdōng

The People's Republic of China (PRC), known officially as Zhōnghuá (中华), has a lengthy coastline, many large harbors, and a large number of lighthouses. The country is divided into 23 provinces and 11 other province-level regions of various special types. The province of Guǎngdōng (formerly spelled Kwangtung) is located on the southern coast of the country facing the South China Sea. The coastline is rugged and irregular, with many islands and reefs threatening unwary navigators.

Guǎngdōng is divided into 21 prefectural-level cities. This page lists lighthouses of the eastern portion of the province in the prefectural-level cities of Cháozhōu and Shàntóu. This is a densely populated area with many ports and a population of more than 6 million.

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 MSA Maritime Security Center Shàntóu, which is part of the Guǎngzhōu Region.

There are many languages and dialects spoken in China, but Standard Chinese, often called Mandarin, is official. The pīnyīn system for transliterating Standard Chinese into Latin characters is now the international standard but some locations continue to be known also under the spellings of older transliteration systems. The Chinese word for a lighthouse is dēngtǎ (灯塔). In Standard Chinese jiāo (formerly chiao) is a reef or rock, jiǎo is a cape or headland, dǎo (tao) is an island; (tsu) or tuózi ("lump") is a small island, hǎi is a sea, wān is a bay, hǎixiá is a strait, or jiāng is a river, hékǒu ("river mouth") is an estuary, and gǎng (kang) is a harbor.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. CN numbers are the MSA List of Lights (助航标志表) numbers. Admiralty numbers are from volume P of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 112.

General Sources
Online List of Lights - China
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Chinese English Pinyin Dictionary
A useful tool for juggling the representations of Chinese names.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the Shàntóu area.


Dézhōudǎo Lights, Shàntóu
Shàntóu City photo

Cháozhōu City Lighthouses

Cháozhōu is a city of about 2.7 million residents. It is mostly inland but it has a short coast on Zhèlín Bay next to the provincial border.

Ràoping County Lighthouses
Daping Power Plant Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 32.5 m (107 ft); white light, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 27.5 m (90 ft) square white skeletal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The range guides ships to a large coal-fired power plant just north of the Tàlín (Zhèlín) Bay entrance. Located inside the plant. Site and tower closed. CN-4009.96; Admiralty P3587.64.
Daping Power Plant Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 53.5 m (176 ft); white light, 2.5 s on, 2.5 s off. 48.5 m (159 ft) tapered square white skeletal tower. Ken Liang has a distant aerial view (tower left of center) and Google has a satellite view. Located about 1.5 km (1 mi) northwest of the front light. Site and tower closed. CN-4009.97; Admiralty P3587.641.
Qīngyǔ (Green Island, Zhelinwan, Zhe Lin, Che-Lin Wan) (3)
Date unknown (station established 1955). Active; focal plane 54.5 m (178 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 10.5 m (35 ft) round concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The original light was replaced in 1983; the second light was a 6 m (20 ft) tower. Located on Qīngyǔ, an island in the middle of the entrance to Tàlín (Zhèlín) Bay, about 10 km (6 mi) north of Nán'àodǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4011; Admiralty P3587.62; NGA 19207.
Wūjiāo (Heijiao)
1987. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a shoal off the northeastern corner of Xùnzhōudǎo in Tàlín (Zhèlín) Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4013; Admiralty P3587.615.
Yuányǔ (Fu Yu)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 29 m (95 ft); white flash every 5 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round white concrete tower with gallery. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a tiny islet off the south coast of Hǎishāndǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4019.01; Admiralty P3587.6.

Shàntóu City Lighthouses

Shàntóu (formerly called Swatow) is a city of nearly 6 million residents located near the eastern edge of Guǎngdōng. The city has a long history and was one of the "treaty ports" opened to Westerners in 1860. Today it is the hub of a metropolitan region called Cháoshàn that has over 13 million residents.

Nán'ào County: Nán'ào Island Area Lighthouses
Nán'ào County is administered as part of Shàntóu City. The county includes the large island of Nán'àodǎo as well as the Nánpēng (South Penghu) Islands in the Taiwan Strait. Since 2015 the island has been connected to the mainland by the 9341 m (5.8 mi) long Nanao Bridge. The island has a population of about 80,000.

Fèngyǔ (Fèng Yǔ) (2)
2006 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 8 s. 8 m (26 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with two red horizontal bands; lantern painted red. Bryan Lee has a distant view from the sea and Google has a satellite view. The original light had a focal plane of 24 m (79 ft). Fèng Yǔ is a small but high island halfway between Nán'àodǎo and the mainland. Located on an islet just off the southern tip of Fèng Yǔ. Accessible only by boat but visible at a distance from the Nanao Bridge. Site status unknown. CN-4022; Admiralty P3587.58.
Chángshānjiǎo (Chángshān Jiǎo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) hexagonal concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the western tip of Nán'àodǎo. Site status unknown. CN-4022.15; Admiralty P3587.595.
Chángshānwěi Pier (3)
Around 2015. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); flashing white light, period not listed. Approx. 11 m (36 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted red, lantern black. Chui Cheung Wing's photo is at right, a sunset photo and a distant view are available, and Google has a satellite view. Zhou Liping has a 2011 photo of the earlier light and Yang Xuejun has a 2014 photo. Chángshānwěi is or was the ferry terminal for Nán'àodǎo; ferries may be obsolete in view of the new bridge. The original light was a 6 m (20 ft) skeletal tower. Located at the end of the pier in Chángshānwěi. Site status unknown. CN-4022.1; Admiralty P3587.59.
Anzai Yǔ
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round concrete tower with gallery painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a tiny islet off the north coast of Nán'àodǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4019.05; Admiralty P3587.598.

Chángshānwěi Pier Light, Nán'àodǎo, August 2017
ex-Google Plus photo by Chui Cheung Wing
* Hòujiāng North Pier
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 5.5 m (18 ft) round stone tower painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the north side of the narrow entrance to Hòujiāng harbor on the north coast of Nán'àodǎo. Site open, tower closed. CN-4019.1; Admiralty P3587.597.
Nán'ào Běijiǎo (North Cape)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery mounted on a robust concrete base. Kwok Ming Ho has a very distant view and Google has a satellite view. Located at the northernmost tip of Nán'àodǎo. Site status unknown. CN-4003.9; Admiralty P3587.67.
Lǎoniújiāo (Cow Reef) (2)
1991 (station established 1980). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white flash every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, mounted on a round pier. Lighthouse painted white. No photo available and Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the reef. Located on a reef about 10 km (6 mi) northeast of the island of Nán'àodǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4009; Admiralty P3596.
*** Nán'àodǎo (Sancongya)
2009. Active; focal plane 78 m (256 ft); white flash every 8 s. 30 m (98 ft) vase-shaped tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is white with narrow red vertical stripes and red trim. A photo is at right and Google has a good satellite view. This new major lighthouse has a range of 33 km (21 mi). Intended both as a navigational aid and a tourist attraction, the lighthouse was dedicated on 28 November 2009. Sometime in 2019-20 a shorter tower, about 19 m (62 ft) tall and also white with narrow red vertical stripes and red trim, was built in front of the lighthouse; the function of this second tower is not known. Located on a promontory at the southeastern point of Nán'àodǎo. Site and tower open daily. CN-4004.4; Admiralty P3587.74; NGA 19206.3.
Guānyǔ (Guān Yǔ)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white flash every 3 s. 9 m (30 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on an island about 800 m (1/2 mi) off the southeastern tip of Nán'àodǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-4004.5; Admiralty P3587.755.
* Yún'ào Inner Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (35 ft); green flash every 4 s. 7.5 m (25 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located on the inner breakwater in the harbor of Yún'ào, a large fishing port on the south coast of Nán'àodǎo. Site open, tower closed. CN-4004; Admiralty P3587.742.

Nán'àodǎo Light, Nán'ào, August 2023
Nán'ào County Public Information photo

Lèmén Islands Lighthouses
Wūyǔ (Black Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 44 m (144 ft); white flash every 4 s. 5.5 m (18 ft) square stone tower. Zhou Liping has a photo, a distant view is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the northernmost of the Lèmén Islands, a group of small islands about 12 km (7.5 mi) south of the Nán'àodǎo lighthouse. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-4007; Admiralty P3587.8.
Píngyǔ (Píng Yǔ, Flat Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 5 s. 9 m (30 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the westernmost of the Lèmén Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-4007.5; Admiralty P3587.81.
Chìyǔ (Chì Yǔ, Red Island) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); two white flashes every 12 s. 6 m (20 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete block tower with gallery. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. The Admiralty lists a light only 2 m (7 ft) tall. Located on a small island at the eastern end of the Lèmén group. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-4008; Admiralty P3587.82.

Nán'ào County: Nánpēng Islands Lighthouses
The Nánpēng (South Penghu) Islands are a chain of small islands located about 25 km (15 mi) southeast of Nán'àodǎo and about 60 km (38 mi) east of Shàntóu.

Dǐngpéngdǎo (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 49 m (161 ft); white flash every 8 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery and a round observation room at the top. No photo but Bing has a satellite view. MSA listed a tower with a focal plane of 35 m (115 ft) in 2016. Located on Dǐngpéngdǎo near the northeastern end of the Nánpēng Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (strategic military area). CN-4003; Admiralty P3587.72.
Nánpēngdǎo (Nánpēng Lièdǎo, Nánpēng Islands) (2)
1994 (station established 1874). Active; focal plane 92 m (302 ft); white flash every 12 s. 23 m (75 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and observation room, centered on a square 1-story equipment building. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. MSA's photo is at right, Rogelio Jr. Laura has a 2021 view from the sea, and Bing has a satellite view of the station. A shorter tower next to the lighthouse may be the original lighthouse, a 16.5 m (54 ft) cast iron tower. The lighthouse guides ships approaching the Taiwan Strait and also serves as a landfall light for Shàntóu. Located on Nánpēngdǎo, the highest and southernmost island of the group. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (strategic military area). ARLHS PRC-046; CN-4002; Admiralty P3587.7; NGA 19206.
Qínpéngdǎo (2)
Date unknown (recent). Active; focal plane about 40 m (131 ft); white flash every 10 s. Approx. 20 m (66 ft) round concrete tower with a round observation room at the top, colored with red and white horizontal bands. A photo is at right and Bing has an indistinct satellite view. MSA listed only a small tower in 2016. Located on Qínpéngdǎo at the southwestern end of the Nánpēng Islands. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed (strategic military area). CN-4001; Admiralty P3587.65.

Nanpengdao Light
Nánpēngdǎo Light, Taiwan Strait
PRC Maritime Safety Administration photo


Qínpéngdǎo Light, Taiwan Strait
tuniu.com tourist development photo


Chénghǎi District Lighthouse
* Láichángdùkǒu Ferry Pier (Lanchangdukou Breakwater)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); quick-flashing white light. 10 m (33 ft) post centered on a round 1-story concrete base. Post painted with red and white horizontal bands. Zhou Lee has a photo, another photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a short breakwater at Mǎqián, about 16 km (10 mi) north of the Shàntóu harbor entrance. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. CN-4022.2; Admiralty P3587.43; NGA 19223.

Háojiāng District: Shàntóu Harbor Entrance Lighthouses
Shàntóu Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8.5 m (27 ft); six very quick white flashes followed by one long white flash every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower, upper half painted yellow and lower half black. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The entrance to the port of Shàntóu is between this light and the next one listed. Located just off the end of a long, mostly submerged breakwater that shelters the harbor entrance. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-4026; Admiralty P3589.2; NGA 19229.
Tiězhēn Yǔ (Anvil Island, Chi Yu) (2)
2009 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 24 m (79 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal concrete tower with gallery, painted white. Ranran Clatin has a distant view from the mainland beach and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 5 km (3 mi) north of Biaojiao. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4025; Admiralty P3589; NGA 19230.
Dézhōudǎo (Shàntóu Gǎng) Range No. 1 Front
2009. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); continuous red light. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, colored white with a red vertical stripe. This light is at the far left in August Zeng's distant view and Google has a satellite view. Dézhōudǎo is an island in the entrance to the Shàntóu Jiāng, the estuary that is Shàntóu's harbor. Located at the eastern point of Dézhōudǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4032; Admiralty P3593; NGA 19224.
Dézhōudǎo (Te Chou Tao, Luyu, Lu Hsu) (1)
1880. Inactive since 1997. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. A photo from Shàntóu City's former page for the light station is at the top of the page, the light is high on the island in August Zeng's distant view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse has been carefully restored. Located adjacent to the new lighthouse (next entry).
Dézhōudǎo (Te Chou Tao, Luyu, Lu Hsu) (2)
1997 (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 74 m (243 ft); white flash every 5 s. 23 m (75 ft) octagonal hourglass-shaped tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse covered with white ceramic tile; lantern painted white with a red roof. A photo from Shàntóu City's former page for the light station is at the top of the page and Google has a satellite view. Located at the eastern end of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4030; Admiralty P3591; NGA 19216.
Dézhōudǎo Outgoing Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); continuous white, red or green light, depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) white concrete tower carrying a triangular daymark, point down. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. NGA lists this light as "Lu Yu Danger Range." The front light (on a post) is still active, but the rear light is now a leading light. Located a short distance west of the historic Dézhōudǎo lighthouses. Site status unknown. CN-4035; Admiralty P3594.1; NGA 19240.1.
* Dézhōudǎo (Shàntóu) Range No. 1 Rear (2)
1995 (station established 1979). Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); white flash every 2 s. 39 m (128 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse covered with ceramic tiles colored white with a red vertical stripe on the range line. Ming Lee's photo is at right, and Google has a satellite view. The original light, a skeletal tower, has been removed. Located on the eastern side of an island in Shàntóu Jiāng. The island is accessible from an exit from the bridge across the estuary. Site status unknown, but certainly the lighthouse can be viewed from nearby. CN-4033; Admiralty P3593.1; NGA 19224.1.

Dézhōudǎo Range No. 1 Rear Light, Shàntóu, August 2017
ex-Google Plus photo by Ming Lee

Jīnpíng District (Shàntóu Harbor) Lighthouses
* Shàntóu No. 3 Leading (ex-Range No. 3 Rear)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); continuous white, red or green light, depending on direction. 26.5 m (87 ft) skeletal tower, painted white. Kin Hung Chan has a closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. This was formerly the front light of a range, now converted to a leading light. Located on the north side of the harbor in downtown Shàntóu. Site open, tower closed. CN-4042; Admiralty P3595.2; NGA 19244.
Guīyǔ (Guī Yǔ, Turtle Island) (2)
1996 (station established 1979). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) white fiberglass tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The original light was on a square skeletal tower. Located on an island in Shàntóu harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-4049; Admiralty P3595.3; NGA 19249.

Háojiāng District: Biǎojiǎo Area Lighthouses
Biǎojiǎo (Table Cape) is a prominent headland about 8 km (5 mi) south of the mouth of the Shàntóu estuary.
* Biǎojiǎo (Biǎo Jiǎo, Good Hope Cape, Table Cape, Swatow) (2)
1992 (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 62 m (203 ft); white flash every 8 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with red trim; the lantern dome is also red. Several keeper's cottages and other station buildings. A photo is at right, Wu Zexin has a 2018 photo, a 2023 street view is available, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a 6.7 m (22 ft) cast iron tower; we do not know if this historic building was preserved. Located on a prominent cape about 20 km (13 mi) southeast of Shàntóu. Accessible by road. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PRC-009; CN-4024; Admiralty P3588; NGA 19208.
Guǎng'ào Gǎng Range Front
2010. Active; focal plane 54 m (177 ft); continuous red light. 48 m (157 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, covered with ceramic tiles colored white with a red vertical stripe on the range line. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This is the entrance range for new port facilities being developed in the lee of Biǎo Jiǎo. Located on the waterfront west of Biǎo Jiǎo, facing south on Guǎng'ào Bay. Site status unknown. CN-4050.351; Admiralty P3588.8; NGA 19209.
Guǎng'ào Gǎng Range Rear
2010. Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); continuous red light. 41 m (135 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, covered with ceramic tiles colored white with a red vertical stripe on the range line. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located 685 m (0.43 mi) due north of the front light. Site status unknown. CN-4050.352; Admiralty P3588.81; NGA 19209.2.
Biao Jiao Light
Biǎo Jiǎo Light, Shàntóu, January 2011
ex-Panoramio photo copyright 周遊; permission requested

Cháoyáng District Lighthouses
Huánéng Hǎimén Power Plant Range Front
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 52 m (171 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) triangular white skeletal tower carrying a rectangular daymark colored white with a red vertical stripe.. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The range guides ships to a power plant on the east side of Cape Hǎimén. Located about 3 km (2 mi) north of the plant. Site status unknown. CN-4051.01; Admiralty P3587.2.
Huánéng Hǎimén Power Plant Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 72 m (236 ft); continuous red light. Approx. 35 m (115 ft) triangular white skeletal tower carrying a rectangular daymark colored white with a red vertical stripe. No photo available but Google has a satellite view; a portion is seen at right. Located about 1 km (0.6 mi) north of the front light. Site status unknown. CN-4051.02; Admiralty P3587.201.
Liánhuā Fēng (Lotusflower Peak)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 45 m (148 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round white concrete tower. Hsiang Chow has a photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a headland at the east side of the entrance to Hǎimén harbor. Site status unknown. CN-4053; Admiralty P3587.

Cháonán District: Hǎimén Bay Lighthouses
Hǎimén Entrance Range Front
1961. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round concrete tower, covered with ceramic tiles colored white with a black vertical stripe on the range line. No photo available but the tower is centered in a Google satellite view. Located in a field about 250 m (800 ft) above the estuary on the west side of Hǎimén harbor. Site status unknown. CN-4055; Admiralty P3587.1.
Hǎimén Entrance Range Rear
1961. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); white light, 1.5 s on, 1.5 s off. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower, covered with ceramic tiles colored white with a black vertical stripe on the range line. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located about 400 m (1/4 mi) north northwest of the front light. Site status unknown. CN-4056; Admiralty P3587.11.
Běipàotái (Jìnghǎi) Jiǎo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 11 m (36 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available but Bing has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a headland in the midst of an industrial plant at Běipàotái. Site and tower closed. CN-4064; Admiralty P3586.7.

Huánéng Hǎimén Power Plant Range Rear Light, Shàntóu
Google Maps satellite view

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Southern Fújiàn | West: Shànwěi Area

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted October 8, 2008. Checked and revised February 26, 2024. Lighthouses: 40. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.