Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse, Protected lighthouse at Cape D'Aguilar, Hong Kong.
Cape D'Aguilar Lighthouse is a cylindrical stone tower on the southeastern tip of Hong Kong Island, about 30 ft (9.7 m) tall, with a white exterior and an iron door. It stands on a headland well above sea level and its automated light still operates today.
The tower was built in 1875 as Hong Kong's first lighthouse, at a time when ship traffic in the region was growing fast. When the Waglan Island Lighthouse opened in 1896, it took over as the main navigation point for vessels passing through the area.
The tower is a declared monument in Hong Kong, which means it is protected and cannot be altered or demolished. Walking around it, you can see the plain stone walls and the iron door up close, details that speak to how colonial-era builders worked.
The site is on a remote headland and can only be reached on foot, so sturdy shoes are a good idea for the uneven terrain. Clear days offer the best views of the surrounding ocean and coastline.
The original Fresnel lens from this tower was removed in 1905 and installed at Green Island Lighthouse to replace an older system there. This kind of transfer was common across the region's lighthouses, where working parts were moved rather than discarded.
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