Lighthouses of China: Eastern Hǎinán

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 island of Hǎinán, together with some much smaller islands, forms the southernmost and smallest province of China; its name means "South Sea." The island is about 300 km (190 mi) long from northeast to southwest and about 175 km (110 mi) wide at its widest point. The east side of the island faces the South China Sea and the west side faces the Gulf of Tonkin. Hǎinán is separated from the Léizhōu Peninsula of Guǎngdōng province by the 30 km (19 mi) wide Qióngzhōu Strait. Hǎikǒu, facing the strait, is the capital and largest city of Hǎinán. The population of the island is more than 8 million. Hǎinán was governed historically as part of Guǎngdōng but it became a separate province in 1988.

The major ports in Hǎinán include Xiùyīng at Hǎikǒu on the north coast, Sānyà on the south coast, and Bāsuǒ at Dōngfāng on the west coast.

The Xīshā (Paracel) Islands are attached to Hǎinán province and China also considers the Spratly (Nánshā) Islands to be part of the province.

This page describes lighthouse on the east and southeast coasts of Hǎinán. The remainder of the island is covered by the Northern .Hǎinán and Western Hǎinán pages.

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; yǔ (tsu) or tuózi ("lump") is a small island, hǎi is a sea, wān is a bay, hǎixiá is a strait, hé or jiāng is a river, hékǒu ("river mouth") is an estuary, and gǎng (kang) is a harbor.

Lighthouses in China are maintained by the PRC Maritime Safety Administration.The administration is organized in four regional administrations; Hǎinán is one of the four regions. The Hǎinán Maritime Safety Administration is responsible for the island's lighthouses.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. CN numbers are the serial numbers used by the Shanghai regional office of MSA. 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
Lighthouses in Hǎinán
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Online List of Lights - Hainan - East Coast, Southwest Coast, and Northwest Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas.
Chinese English Pinyin Dictionary
A useful tool for juggling the representations of Chinese names.
GPSNavigationCharts
Navigation chart information for Hǎinán.
Google Maps
Satellite view of southern Hǎinán.


Měinǚshí Light, Sānyà, January 2013
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Tanya Dedyukhina

Qiónghǎi City Lighthouse
 
Tánmén Gǎng
2017. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 15 m (49 ft) round white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the south side of the harbor entrance at Tánmén Gǎng, a port about 15 km (9 mi) east of Qiónghǎi. Site status unknown. Admiralty P3348.474.
**** Bó'áo (2)
2011 (station established 1953). Active; focal plane 81 m (266 ft); three white flashes every 24 s. 75 m (246 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with lantern, four ribs, and a large observation room. The base of the lighthouse has a visitor center and museum. A photo is at right, Chi Hin So has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. China Daily has photos of the new lighthouse and the old one, a skeletal tower. Located on the north side of the harbor entrance at Bó'áo, a small port about 15 km (9 mi) southeast of Qiónghǎi. Site open, tower must be open but no schedule information is available. ARLHS PRC-011; CN-5061.5; Admiralty P3348.46; NGA 20212.
Bó'áo Gǎng (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 25 m (82 ft); white flash every 4 s. Approx. 22 m (72 ft) white masonry tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. The 2016 CN list describes an 8.5 m (26 ft) tower but the current lighthouse is clearly much taller. Located on an island in the entrance to Bó'áo harbor. CN-5062; Admiralty P3348.462.

Bó'áo Light, Bó'áo, February 2013
Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Zhangmoon618
 

Wànníng City Lighthouses
Gǎngběi Gǎng
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white flash every 4 s. 6 m (20 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. Located atop an islet (connected to land by a sandbar) on the north side of the entrance to Gǎngběi harbor ("North Harbor") near the northern border of Wanning City. Site status unknown. CN-5063; Admiralty P3348.48.
Báiāndǎo (Báiān Dǎo, Kuan-tsai Ling, False Tinhosa) (3)
Date unknown (station established 1959). Active; focal plane 81 m (266 ft); two white flashes every 15 s. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical concrete tower with gallery, covered with ceramic tiles colored white with narrow red vertical stripes at the corners of the tower. China News has the closeup photo seen at right. Sibling of the Běishìdǎo lighthouse (see the Northeastern Hǎinán page). This light guides sailors around a promontory known to western navigators as Sifa Point. The original 6 m (20 ft) light was replaced in 1997; Google has a distant satellite view that shows a round lighthouse, presumably the 1997 tower. Located on a small island just off the southeast coast of Hǎinán near Wànníng. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5064; Admiralty P3348.5; NGA 20208.
Gānzhèdǎo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); three white flashes every 10 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) square metal tower. No photo available but Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the south tip of an island off a headland at Wūcháng. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5064.5; Admiralty P3348.55.
Dàzhōudǎo (Dàzhōu Dǎo, Tachou Tao, Tinhosa)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 175 m (574 ft); white flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with gallery. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Dàzhōu (Big Island) is an island about 5 km (3 mi) off the southeastern tip of Hǎinán, known traditionally to Western navigators as Green Point. Located on heights above the southeastern point of the island. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5065; Admiralty P3348.6; NGA 20204.
Zhōuzǎidǎo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 9.5 m (31 ft) square metal tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on an island about 16 km (10 mi) west of Dàzhōu. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5065.001; Admiralty P3348.605.

Báiāndǎo Light, Wànníng, October 2019
China News photo
* Shénzhōu Bàndǎo
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 19 m (62 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 16 m (52 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted with red and white horizontal bands, lantern red. Ma Yan has the 2021 street view seen at right and Google has a satellite view. Shénzhōu Bàndǎo (Shenzhou Peninsula) is a barrier spit developed as a beach resort. Located on the breakwater at the harbor entrance at the west end of the peninsula. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. CN-5065.004; Admiralty P3348.607.
Shíméi Wān Yacht Club East Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); green flash every 4 s. 12m (39 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with green and white horizontal bands. Ma Yan has a distant street view and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the east breakwater in the new Shíméi Bay Resort Area. Site status unknown. CN serial 9310155.01; Admiralty P3348.62.
Shíméi Wān Yacht Club West Breakwater
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); red flash every 4 s. 12m (39 ft) round barbell-shaped fiberglass tower colored with red and white horizontal bands. Ma Yan has a street view and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east breakwater in the new Shíméi Bay Resort Area. Site status unknown. CN serial 9310155.02; Admiralty P3348.61.

Língshuǐ County Lighthouses
* Niúlíng Tourist Pier
2012. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower. Entire lighthouse is red. A distant photo is available and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Ferries carry tourists from here to Fēnjiè Zhōu, a small island about 2 km (1.25 mi) off the coast. Located on the island's pier. Site open, tower closed. CN-5065.01; Admiralty P3348.65; NGA 20203.

Shénzhōu Bàndǎo Light, Wànníng, July 2021
Google Maps photo by Ma Yan
* Fēnjiè Zhōu (Boundary Island)
2012. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 3 s. 15 m (49 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse is white, lantern and gallery rail red. A 2013 photo is seen at right, Cheng Liu has a more distant photo, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on the Fēnjiè Zhōu pier. Site open, tower closed. CN-5065.08; Admiralty P3348.64.
Shuāngfànshí
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 9 m (30 ft) round concrete tower. Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef about 5 km (3 mi) northeast of Língshuǐ Jiǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5065.094; Admiralty P3348.69.
Língshuǐjiǎo (Língshuǐ Jiǎo, Leong Soi Point)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 150 m (492 ft); three white flashes every 20 s. 10 m (33 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse covered with white ceramic tiles. A very distant view is available and Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory on the southeast coast of Hǎinán about 11 km (7 mi) south of Língshuǐ. Site status unknown. CN-5066; Admiralty P3348.8; NGA 20200.
Qīngshuǐ Wān Yacht Pier
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 23 m (85 ft); white light, 1 s on, 1 s off. Approx. 18 m (59 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white with narrow red horizontal bands. Sherwin Teo has a 2024 photo, Sammy Wood has a 2025 photo, Stephen Zhou has a 2022 distant view, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the breakwater of a small boat harbor on the north shore of Qīngshuǐ Bay. Site status unknown. CN serial 9310193; Admiralty P3348.85.

Sānyà City Lighthouses
China's southernmost city, Sānyà has a population of more than one million and is the center of a large area of popular resorts, many of them attracting international visitors.

Hòuhǎi Jiǎo (Hòuhǎilǐng)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 95 m (312 ft); white flash every 3 s. 12 m (39 ft) round tapered concrete tower with double gallery. Lighthouse covered with ceramic tiles colored white with two narrow red horizontal bands. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a promontory at Hòuhǎi, a small fishing port about 20 km (13 mi) east of Sānyà. Site status unknown. CN-5067; Admiralty P3348.9.

Fēnjiè Zhōu Light, Língshuǐ, 2013
Google Maps photo by 大蛋 (Dà dàn)
Hòuhǎi East Breakwater
Date unknown. Inactive. Approx. 14 m (46 ft) round white concrete tower centered on a large round concrete base; a stairway winds around the tower. A distant view is available and Google has a satellite view. The light has been replaced by a post light on the west breakwater. Located on the east breakwater of Hòuhǎi, a small fishing port. Site status unknown.
Dōngzhōudǎo (Dōngzhōu Dǎo)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 123 m (404 ft); white flash every 5 s. 13 m (43 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse covered with ceramic tiles colored white with two narrow red horizontal bands on the gallery. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Yàlóng Bay, east of Jǐnmǔ Jiǎo, has been designated a National Resort Area. Located on an island at the east entrance to the bay, about 12 km (7.5 mi) east of Jǐnmǔ Jiǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5072; Admiralty P3348.93; NGA 20198.
Yězhūdǎo (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 97 m (318 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) round concrete tower. Mǎ Yìhuá has a very distant view and Google has a satellite view. The Admiralty lists the tower height as 4 m (13 ft), but the satellite view clearly shows a taller tower. Located on an island in Yàlóng Bay northwest of Dōngzhōudǎo. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5073; Admiralty P3348.96.
#St. Regis Sānyà Yàlóng Bay Resort Marina
2012. Removed in 2021. This was a 17 m (56 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, painted white; lantern painted red. A distant 2013 view is available but neither pier nor lighthouse is shown now in Google's satellite view. Located on the south breakwater of the marina, on the northwest side of the Yàlóng Bay. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: St. Regis Sānyà Yàlóng Bay Resort Marina. CN-5073.41; Admiralty P3348.975.
* Jǐnmǔjiǎo (Jǐnmǔ Jiǎo) (2)
1995 (station established 1960). Active; focal plane 72 m (236 ft); white flash every 10 s. 18 m (59 ft) round cylindrical concrete tower with lantern, gallery, and six ribs. Lighthouse covered with ceramic tiles colored white with red trim and red on the ribs. Lantern roof painted red. Part of a more distant view is at right, MSA has a photo, a closeup photo and a 2003 photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Jǐnmǔ Jiǎo was called Cape Rhinoceros by early Western navigators, presumably because the great rock at the tip of the point resembles a rhino's horn from a distance. It is the southernmost tip of Hǎinán, surrounded by a wild and forested area. (Except for remote islands in the South China Sea, this is also the southernmost point of China.) Located on a ridge above the cape, about 18 km (11 mi) south of Sānyà. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS PRC-035; CN-5074; Admiralty P3349; NGA 20196.

Jǐnmǔjiǎo Light, Sānyà, March 2010
Google Maps photo by p. pc master
[Sānyà Jiǎo]
2008. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); three white flashes every 9 s. 8 m (26 ft) post painted with red and white horizontal bands. Allen Jiang has a view from the sea and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located on a steep bluff at the entrance to Sānyà harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty P3352; NGA 20194.7.
* Lùhuítóu (Qingren) Wān (Fānchuán Gǎng No. 1)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); quick-flashing white light. 18 m (59 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, colored white with narrow red horizontal bands. A 2012 photo is at right, a panoramic view is available, Allen Jiang has a view from the sea, and Google has a satellite view. Fānchuán is Chinese for "sailboat." Located on the west breakwater of a small boat harbor on the Lùhuítóu Peninsula about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Sānyà. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. CN-5087.51; Admiralty P3351.3.
* Sānyà Range Front (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); continuous red light. 18 m (59 ft) octagonal cylindrical concrete tower with gallery. Lighthouse colored white with red trim and a black vertical stripe on the range line; there is also a triangular red daymark, point up, atop the tower. A 2016 photo is available and Google has a satellite view. The rear light, mounted on a nearby building, was deactivated in 2018. Located on the waterfront of Sānyà. Site open, tower closed. CN-5089; Admiralty P3351; NGA 20195.5.
* Sānyà Gǎng International Passenger Pier LB2
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 2 s. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower. The light is at the right edge of Paul Bunker's photo; it is partly hidden by trees in a street view by Karl-Josef Heinrichs but Google has a satellite view. Located at the cruise ship terminal of Sānyà harbor about 1 km (0.6 mi) southwest of light LB1. Site open, tower closed. CN-5088.7; Admiralty P3350.551.

Lùhuítóu Wān Light, Sānyà, February 2012
ex-Google Plus photo by p. pc expert
* Sānyà Gǎng International Passenger Pier LB1
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red light, 1 s on, 1 s off. 11 m (36 ft) square skeletal tower. The light is at the left edge of Manfred Hoffmann's photo, an indistinct view from the sea is available, and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Located at the cruise ship terminal of Sānyà harbor. Site open, tower closed. CN-5088.4; Admiralty P3350.55.
Sānyà Reef (Báipái)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 16 m (52 ft); white flash every 3 s. 11 m (36 ft) round cylindrical white concrete tower with three galleries. A closeup photo and a distant view are available and Google has an indistinct satellite view. Formerly located at the end of a reef, but in 2017 the International Passenger Pier was extended to the reef bringing the lighthuse to the edge of the extended pier. Site status unknown. CN-5088; Admiralty P3350.5; NGA 20195.
Shuāngfēishí
Date unknown. Active; focal plane about 15 m (49 ft); white light, pattern unknown. Approx. 12 m (39 ft) white concrete tower. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef on the west side of the entrance to Sānyà. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. Admiralty P3349.5.
Hóngtáng Gǎng Range Front
Date unknown. Inactive since 2019. 12 m (39 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located on the west end of a pier at an industrial harbor about 40 km (25 mi) west of Sānyà. Site and tower closed. ex-CN-5100.1; ex-Admiralty P3350.3.
Hóngtáng Gǎng Range Rear
Date unknown. Inactive since 2019. 20 m (66 ft) square pyramidal skeletal tower with gallery. No photo available but Google has a satellite view. Located onshore about 300 m (0.2 mi) northwest of the front light. Site and tower closed. ex-CN-5100.2; ex-Admiralty P3350.31.
Xīmàodǎo (Xīmào Zhōu, Hsi-mei Chou) (2)
1989 (station established 1962). Active; focal plane 137 m (450 ft); white flash every 3 s. 14 m (46 ft) rectangular concrete tower with gallery and six decorative ribs. Lighthouse painted white (or covered with white ceramic tiles). An MSA photo is at right, a very distant 2014 view from the sea is available, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view of the station. Xīmào Zhōu is a popular resort island in the South China Sea southwest of Sānyà. Located atop the island, about 5 km (3 mi) off the south coast and 25 km (15 mi) west of Sānyà. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5100; Admiralty P3350; NGA 20194.

Xīmàodǎo Light, Sānyà, posted October 2019
Hǎikǒu MSA photo published by China News Hǎinán
Měinǚshí (Yázhōu Wān East Side)
2009. Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 34 m (112 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from an octagonal base. The lighthouse is white, lantern red. Wikimedia has Tanya Dedyukhina's photo of this handsome new lighthouse (also seen at the top of this page), a February 2010 photo is available, Y.P Zhao has another photo, Igor Stankevich has a street view from shore, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef off a promontory on the south side of Gǎngmén Gǎng. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5100.9; Admiralty P3350.4; NGA 20194.6.
* Yázhōu Wān Gǎngxī (West Harbor)
2017. Active; focal plane 32 m (105 ft); white flash every 8 s. 29 m (95 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery. A photo of the then-new lighthouse is at right and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is the centerpiece in a new waterfront park. Located on the west side of the entrance to the Yázhōu Wān harbor about 40 km (25 mi) west of Sānyà. Site open, tower closed. CN-5101.5; Admiralty P3350.47.
Xīgǔdǎo (Xīgǔ Dǎo, Hsi-ku Tao, West Drum Island)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 89 m (292 ft); white flash every 6 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical tower with gallery. Lighthouse covered with ceramic tiles colored white with narrow red vertical stripes. A 2016 photo is available and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about 5 km (3 mi) off the southwestern coast of Hǎinán and 25 km (15 mi) west of Yáchéng. Accessible only by boat. Site status unknown. CN-5102; Admiralty P3356; NGA 20192.

Yázhōu Wān Gǎngxī Light, Sānyà, 2017
Contractor kinpan.com photo
 

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Northeastern Hǎinán | South: Xīshā (Paracel Islands) | West: Northern Vietnam

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index | Ratings key

Posted February 11, 2009. Checked and revised July 24, 2025. Lighthouses: 34. Site copyright 2025 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.