Cape Eluanbi

Cape Eluanbi is at the bottom of Taiwan.

It sits on a long piece of land. This land is near the sea. The ground is made of sand and clay.

Many kinds of crabs live here. There are 26 types of land crabs. This is the most in the world!

You can see a big lighthouse. It is part of a large park. Many people visit to see it.

It is a very special place to explore.

Cape Eluanbi is at the very bottom of Taiwan.

It sits on the Hengchun Peninsula. The ground here is made of sand, gravel, and clay. This land is part of the Kenting National Park. The cape marks where the East China Sea meets the Philippine Sea.

People have lived here for a long time. Experts found signs of people living there in 3100 BC. Later, the Paiwan people lived in the hills nearby. Many groups of people moved through this area over the years.

One of the most famous parts is the lighthouse. It was built a long time ago. It was finished in 1883. During the time of Japanese rule, the cape was a place for whaling.

Today, many people visit the park. You can see dolphins and sea turtles in the water. The cape is also a special place for crabs. There are 26 kinds of land crabs living here. This is the most in the whole world!

Cape Eluanbi is a very special place on the island of Taiwan. It sits at the very bottom of the Hengchun Peninsula. This spot marks the southernmost point of the entire island.

The land here is made of layers of yellow and brown sand. You can also find gravel and clay in the ground. These layers are part of a geologic formation called the Pleistocene stratum. The high hills nearby are part of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.

Many different groups of people have lived here through history. Archaeologists found signs of people living at the cape in 3100 BC. Over many years, groups like the Oluanpi and the Ami lived in the area. Later, the Paiwan people moved into the highlands from the north. The Siraya people also settled in the lowlands starting in the 8th century. These early people were skilled at farming and hunting.

The cape has a very famous lighthouse that tells a big story. In the 1800s, many ships hit dangerous reefs near the cape. This led the Qing Empire to start building a lighthouse. The work was overseen by a British diplomat named Robert Hart. They even bought the land from local leaders in 1875. The lighthouse was finally finished and began working in 1883. It was built to be strong and even had guns to protect it.

During the time of Japanese rule, the cape changed again. The Japanese recognized it as the southernmost point of Taiwan. They even named it one of the Eight Views of Taiwan. The area became a busy place for the whaling industry. They even built a special Shinto shrine there. This shrine was unique because it used whale jawbones for its gates.

Today, Cape Eluanbi is part of the Kenting National Park. It is a popular place for tourists to visit and explore.

Many people go there to see dolphins and sea turtles in the sea. You might even see bull sharks in the water. The land is also a wonderful home for many small creatures. There are 26 different species of land crabs living on the cape. This makes it the most diverse place in the world for land crabs.

Cape Eluanbi, also known as Oluanpi, is the southernmost point of Taiwan. It is located within the Hengchun Township of Pingtung County. This cape marks the southern tip of the Hengchun Peninsula. Geologically, the area consists of a Pleistocene stratum. This is a layer of earth made of yellow and brown sand, gravel, and clay. The nearby highlands are an extension of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.

The cape sits at a major maritime crossroads. While some agreements place the boundary between the East and South China Seas at Cape Fugui, Eluanbi serves a different role. Under certain naming systems, it forms the boundary between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. It is also informally considered part of the Luzon Strait and the Bashi Channel. These waters sit between the territory of Taiwan and the Philippines.

Human history at the cape stretches back thousands of years. Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric habitation dating to approximately 3100 BC. These early people, known as the Oluanpi-I, shared similarities with the Xiantao culture. By 2500 BC, the Kenting culture introduced pottery and weaving to the area. Around 1500 BC, the Oluanpi-III group moved into more defensive highland communities. Later, the Paiwan people expanded from the north to inhabit the highlands. The Siraya people settled the lowlands starting in the 8th century.

The cape's history is also defined by its dangerous waters. Strong currents and the Qixingyan reefs caused many shipwrecks. These accidents led to international incidents involving American and Japanese vessels in the late 1800s. To improve safety, the Qing Empire began a public works program. This included the construction of a lighthouse at Eluanbi. British diplomat Robert Hart oversaw this project. Agents purchased the southern cape from local leaders in 1875. The lighthouse was finally completed and entered service in 1883.

Because of local tensions, the lighthouse was built as a fortified structure. It was protected by 18-pound cannons, Gatling guns, and a mortar. The site included enough provisions to survive a three-week siege. The lighthouse was managed by British customs officers and German military officers. During the First Sino-Japanese War, the structure was heavily damaged. It was later repaired in 1898 under Japanese occupation. The Japanese also popularized the cape as one of the Eight Views of Taiwan.

During the Japanese era, the cape became a center for the whaling industry. Whalers targeted humpback whales in Banana and South Bays. This industry influenced the local culture and architecture. A Shinto shrine was built at the site. It was one of only five shrines in the world to use baleen whale jawbones for its torii gates. However, the shrine and the fortified lighthouse were both destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II.

Today, the area is part of the Kenting National Park. The Nationalist government rebuilt the lighthouse in 1947. In 1982, the lighthouse grounds were officially turned into a national park. The site is a major destination for travelers. By 2014, it was receiving more than 300,000 visitors every year.

Many people visit to see the viewing platform and the rock marker.

Nature thrives in the protected environment of the park. The Longkeng area near Banana Bay preserves coral reefs and old-growth forests. While native whales no longer live in these seas, other marine life remains. Visitors can see dolphins, sea turtles, and bull sharks. The cape is also a global hotspot for land crabs. It is home to 26 different species of terrestrial crabs. This makes it the most biologically diverse location for land crabs in the world.