Lighthouses of China: Xiàngshān Area, Zhèjiāng

The People's Republic of China (中华, Zhōnghuá in Chinese) 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 Chinese province of Zhèjiāng (formerly spelled Chekiang) occupies the central coast of the country, south of Shànghǎi and north of the Formosa Strait. The province faces east on the East China Sea. For the most part the coastline is hilly and irregular, with more than 3000 islands of all sizes offshore.

Zhèjiāng is divided into eleven prefectural-level or subprovincial-level cities. The entire area covered by this page is included within the prefectural-level city of Níngbō. The page describes lighthouses of Xiàngshān (Hsiang Shan) Bay and the hammerhead-shaped end of the Xiàngshān Peninsula. This area lies 30 to 100 km (20-60 miles) south of the central city of Níngbō. Oriented northeast to southwest, Xiàngshān Bay is roughly 80 km (50 mi) long but only 5-10 km (3-6 mi) wide over most of its length. During the colonial period Westerners called the bay "Nimrod Sound."

Lighthouses in China are maintained by the PRC Maritime Safety Administration. The administration is organized in four regional administrations, with offices in the major ports. All the lights on this page are maintained by the Zhènhǎi MSA office.

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 Chinese light list 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 Zhèjiāng,

Xiadongyu Light
Xiǎodōngyǔ Light, Xiàngshān County
PRC Maritime Safety Administration photo

Xiàngshān Bay Lighthouses

Xiàngshān Bay is more than 80 km (50 mi) long but rarely much more than 10 km (6 mi) wide. The bay extends from northeast to southwest along the north side of the Xiàngshān Peninsula and about 50 km (30 mi) southeast of downtown Níngbō. Many lights are needed to guide vessels in the narrow waters of the bay.

Yínzhōu District Lighthouse
Chuàntùjiāo (Chuàntù Jiāo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); three quick white flashes every 10 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with two galleries, painted black with a yellow horizontal band. Jason Chao has a 2021 view from the shore (a portion is seen at right), XinChen Wu has a distant street view and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the harbor of Xiánxiángzhèn, on the lower north side of the bay (this is off the former ferry terminal and about 400 m (1/4 mi) northeast of the new Xiàngshān Bay Bridge. Accessible only by boat, but there is a good view from ferries crossing the bay from Xiánxiángzhèn. Site open, tower closed. CN-2545.1; Admiralty P3692.6.

Fènghuà City Lighthouses
These lights are on the north side of the ship channel in Xiàngshān Bay.

Wūguīshān (Wūguī Shān, Turtle Mountain)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30.5 m (100 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island near the center of Xiàngshān Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2548; Admiralty P3692.959.
Dàzhūniángjiāo (Dàzhūniáng Jiāo, Gāngpán Jiāo) (2?)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white, mounted on a square concrete pier. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef in the entrance to the narrower portion of Xiàngshān Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2554; Admiralty P3692.956.
Dàduìshān (Dàduì Shān, Shuāngdéshān)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 4 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted white, mounted on a square concrete pier. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the southeastern point of Dàduìshān, an island off the north side of Xiàngshān Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2558.1; Admiralty P3692.954.

Chuàntùjiāo Light, Xiàngshān Bay, May 2021
Google Maps photo by Jason Chao
Fēnshuǐjiāo (Fēnshuǐ Jiāo, Shīzǐ Kou)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15.5 m (51 ft); three red flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef in a narrow passage of upper Xiàngshān Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2562; Admiralty P3692.95.

Northern Nínghǎi County Lighthouses
These lights are on the south side of the ship channel in Xiàngshān Bay.
Yězhūjiāo (Yězhū Jiāo) (2)
2003 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 11.5 m (38 ft); green flash every 4 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted green, mounted on a round concrete base. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the west end of Báishíshāndǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2565.1; Admiralty P3692.9.
Gǒushān Nán (Gǒu Shān South)
2003 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 8.5 m (28 ft); three green flashes every 10 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted green, mounted on a round concrete base. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the southeast side of Báishíshāndǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2564; Admiralty P3692.8.
Shēnshuǐjiǎo (Shēnshuǐ Jiǎo, Báishíshāndǎo, Báishíshān Dǎo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (56 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located at the northern tip of Báishíshāndǎo, about 10 km (6 mi) west of Xiàngshāngǎng. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2561; Admiralty P3692.953.

Xiàngshān County Lighthouses

North Coast (Xiàngshān Bay Entrance) Lighthouses
Xiǎojiāo (Xiǎo Jiāo, San Jiao)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 13 m (43 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef about 3 km (2 mi) west of Xiàngshāngǎng and 3 km (2 mi) east of the Xiàngshān Bay Bridge. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2547.2; Admiralty P3692.55.
Máojiāo (Máo Jiāo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 13 m (43 ft) 2-stage round cylindrical concrete tower with galleries. Upper stage painted red, lower stage unpainted. MSA's photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef northwest of the harbor of Xiàngshāngǎng, on the lower south side of the bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2547.1; Admiralty P3692.5.
Maojiao Light
Máojiāo Light, Xiàngshān Bay
PRC Maritime Safety Administration photo
Xiǎodōngyǔ (Xiǎodōng Yǔ, Niùbìshān Shuǐdào)
1998 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 37 m (121 ft); white flash every 6 s. 12 m (39 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. MSA's photo is at the top of this page and Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet off the northeastern corner of the Xiàngshān peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2568; Admiralty P3691.6.
Wànjiāo (Wàn Jiāo, Fan Jiao)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (56 ft); light pattern unknown. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off the harbor of Xiàngshāngǎng, on the lower south side of the bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2547; Admiralty P3692.47.
Quèjiāo (Què Jiāo, Magpie Reef)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (59 ft); three white flashes every 12 s. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef marking the southern entrance to Xiàngshān Bay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2545; Admiralty P3692.4.

Niúbīshān Channel Lighthouses
The Niúbīshān Channel is a broad passage south of the Zhōushān Islands leading to the mouth of Xiàngshān Bay. Lights on the north side of the channel are described on the Pǔtúo District page.
Jīniángjiāo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 7 m (23 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island off the northeastern tip of the Xiàngshān peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2570; Admiralty P3691.4.
Hóngshēngjiāo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 31 m (102 ft); white flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) hexagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with black ceramic tiles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The satellite view appears to show foundation ruins of a keeper's house. The lighthouse replaced a much shorter hexagonal tower that still stands nearby. Located on an island off the northeastern tip of the Xiàngshān peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2571; Admiralty P3691.2.
Xiǎoyězhūjiāo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); three white flashes every 6 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with double gallery, mounted on a round concrete pier. Lighthouse covered with red ceramic tiles, pier painted black. Sibling of the Máojiāo lighthouse seen above. No photo available but part of Google's satellite view is at right. Located on a reef off the northeastern tip of the Xiàngshān peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2572; Admiralty P3691; NGA 18979.1.
Cháishān (Chái Shān, Si Jiao)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); white flash every 2 s. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. This light and the next one guide ships approaching Xiàngshān Bay from the south. Located on a reef about 12 km (7.5 mi) east of the northern end of the Xiàngshān Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2573.2; Admiralty P3690.25; NGA 18979.15.

Xiǎoyězhūjiāo Light, Xiàngshān County
Google Maps satellite view
Xiàsìjiāo (Xiàsì Jiāo) (2)
1988 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 38 m (125 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, colored white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the southernmost of three small islands about 15 km (9 mi) east of Mǎ'ānshān. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2574; Admiralty P3689.5.

Guānchuánào Islands Lighthouses
This is a loose group of islands and reefs about 16 km (10 mi) east of the central east coast of the Xiàngshān peninsula. The passage between the islands and the mainland is called the Dàmò Sea or Dàmò Channel.

Dàqīngshāndōng (Dàqīng Shān East)
2008. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, painted with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available; the light is barely visible in Google's satellite view. Located on the eastern coast of Dàqīngshān, the easternmost island of the Guānchuánào group, about 30 km (19 mi) east of the Xiàngshān Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2577.1; Admiralty P3689.1.
Dàqīngshān
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); white flash every 4 s. 4 m (13 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available but Bing has a distant satellite view. Located on the highest point of Dàqīngshān. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2577; Admiralty P3689.2.
Wàidōngjǔ (Nánjiǔshān, Nanjiu Shan) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 11.5 m (38 ft) round cylindrical tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located high on the eastern tip of Nánjiǔshān, the largest island of the Guānchuánào group. Site status unknown. CN-2578; Admiralty P3689; NGA 18980.
Ǎiqíshān (Nánjiǔshān West, Liaobantian West Islet) (2)
1989 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 51 m (167 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on Ǎiqíshān, an island off the western tip of Nánjiǔshān. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2579; Admiralty P3685; NGA 18980.5.

Xiàngshān Peninsula East Coast Lighthouses
These lights are all offshore, along the west side of the Dàmò Channel.

Mǎ'ānshān (Mǎ'ān Shān)
2007. Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); white flash every 5 s. 8.5 m (28 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, colored with red and white horizonal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. This light marks the end of a long reef. Located on a small island off the eastern end of the larger island of Dàpínggǎngdǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2573.6; Admiralty P3689.45.
Xiǎomòshān (Xiǎomò Shān)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 4 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, painted white. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island between a promontory of the mainland east of Dōngchénxiāng and the island of Dàmòshān. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2580; Admiralty P3684.75.
Dàmòluǎnzǐ
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15.5 m (51 ft); red flash every 5 s. 8 m (26 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, colored with black and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on an islet just off the eastern tip of the island of Dàmòshān. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2580.1; Admiralty P3684.8.
Tiánluótóu (Èrmùshan, Erhmu Shan, Tiánluótóudǎo) (3)
1998 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located atop a small island about 8 km (5 mi) off the central coast of the Xiàngshān Peninsula, east of Danmen. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2581; Admiralty P3684.5.
Bǎimǔtiánjiāo (Bǎimǔtián Jiāo, Xing Jiao)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); four white flashes every 12 s. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, mounted on a round concrete pier. Tower probably covered with tiles, colored in red and black horizontal bands; the pier is unpainted. No photo available and the light is not seen in Bing's satellite view. Located on an almost-submerged reef about 8 km (5 mi) south southeast of the Tiánluótóu light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2583; Admiralty P3684.3.
Yīyuèshān
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20.5 m (68 ft); two red flashes every 10 s. 10 m (33 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower, colored with red and white horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a distant satellite view. Located at the west end of an island about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of the Bǎimǔtiánjiāo light. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2583.5; Admiralty P3684.2.
Bànyángjiāo (Bànyáng Jiāo, Niùbìshān Shuǐdào, Jiushan Liedao) (3)
2000 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); two white flashes every 5 s. 16 m (52 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with two galleries and an exterior stairway leading to the lower gallery. Lighthouse covered with tiles colored black with a red horizontal band. No photo available and the reef does not appear in Bing's satellite view. The second (1986) lighthouse had to be replaced after it was heavily damaged by a typhoon in 1997. Located on an isolated reef about 20 km (13 mi) east of the southeastern point of the Xiàngshān Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. CN-2584; Admiralty P3684; NGA 18981.
Dàcándǎo (Dachandao, Suoshan, So Shan) (2)
1986 (station establishment date unknown). Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); white flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) round concrete tower with gallery, covered with white ceramic tiles. The MSA photo is at right and Google has a satellite view. Located atop a small island about 9 km (5.5 mi) south of the Tiánluótóu light. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-2585; Admiralty P3683.7.
Suoshan Light
Dàcándǎo Light
PRC Maritime Safety Administration photo

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Zhènhǎi | South: Shípǔ Area

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Posted May 12, 2008. Checked and revised November 16, 2023. Lighthouses: 30. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.