Name and Location

The Mulantou Lighthouse is located at coordinates 20°09′36″ N, 110°41′04″ E on the southeastern coast of Hainan Island, near the mouth of a small bay just north of Wenchang. Its address is Wèi Mìng Míng De Dào Lù, Wenchang City, Hainan Province, China, 571323.

Construction and History

The construction date of the Mulantou Lighthouse is not publicly available. The managing authority is the People's Republic of China Maritime Safety Administration. The lighthouse has been fully automated, with no manual keepers required for navigation purposes.

Architecture and Materials

The structure of the Mulantou Lighthouse is likely a white-painted concrete tower, common for major lighthouses built in the late 20th century in China. The shape and style are typical functional designs without decorative ornamentation. The material used is speculated to be concrete based on regional practice, but this has not been confirmed by primary sources.

Light and Navigation

The Mulantou Lighthouse is a major coastal light with a characteristic flashing white light group of 2 flashes every 15 seconds (Fl(2) W 15s). The focal height is 88 m above mean sea level, and the range is 25 nautical miles. It is still active for maritime navigation, with a traffic advisory to reserve light range at 20 M.

Accessibility and Visiting

Public access to the lighthouse grounds is restricted, with the tower not open for visitor entry. The site can be reached via local roads from Wenchang City (Wèi Mìng Míng De Dào Lù), and a small parking area is adjacent to the access track leading to the light station. There are no visitor facilities on site, including museums or guided-tour services.

Notable Views and Landscape

The Mulantou Lighthouse offers panoramic sea vistas to the east and south, with frequent passing fishing vessels and distant merchant shipping visible from its location. The surrounding landscape features low dunes, salt pans, and coconut groves, characterizing the immediate environment.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Local lore suggests that the name "Mulantou" may derive from a local headland ("tou" = head) once marked by wooden rail fencing ("mulantu"). However, there are no widely published legends or keeper's anecdotes available about this lighthouse.

Technical and Operational Details

The Mulantou Lighthouse is managed by the People's Republic of China Maritime Safety Administration. It has been fully automated, with no manual keepers required for navigation purposes.

Further Information

• United States NGA, Notice to Mariners, Pub. 112, "China — South Coast," 2009-11-12 edition;
• OpenStreetMap feature way/183695632 (man_made=lighthouse "Mulantou Lighthouse");
• Wikidata Q3378320;
• Wikimedia Commons Category "Mulan Tou Lighthouse";
• English Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulantou_Lighthouse.