Cape Eluanbi Eluan Cape, Cape Oluanpi | |
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![]() Cape Eluanbi | |
Coordinates: 21°54′08″N120°51′10″E / 21.902222°N 120.852778°E | |
Location | Hengchun, Pingtung County, Taiwan |
Designation | National park |
Cape Eluanbi | |||||||||||||||
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Chinese name | |||||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 鵝鑾鼻 | ||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 鹅銮鼻 | ||||||||||||||
Literal meaning | transcription of Paiwan goran, meaning "sail" | ||||||||||||||
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Japanese name | |||||||||||||||
Kanji | 鵝鑾鼻 | ||||||||||||||
Hiragana | がらんび | ||||||||||||||
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Cape Eluan Park | |||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 鵝鑾鼻 公園 | ||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 鹅銮鼻公园 | ||||||||
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Taiwan's Southernmost Point | |||||||||
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![]() The marker at Taiwan's southernmost point | |||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 臺灣 最 南 點 | ||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 台湾最南点 | ||||||||
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Garanbi Shrine | |||||
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![]() The Shinto shrine at Eluanbi | |||||
Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | 鵝鑾鼻 神社 | ||||
Hiragana | ガランピ じんじゃ | ||||
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Cape Eluanbi or Oluanpi,also known by other names,is the southernmost point on the island of Taiwan. It is located in Eluanbi Park within the Hengchun Township in Pingtung County.
Éluánbí is the pinyin romanization of the Mandarin pronunciation of its Chinese name 鵝鑾 鼻 . These characters literally mean "Goose Bell Nose",but actually transcribe the local Hokkien pronunciation Gô-lôan,used as a transliteration of the Paiwan goran ("sail"). This may be a reference to nearby Sail Rock. The "nose" in the name is a dialectical term for a cape,as in nearby Cape Maobitou.
Under the Qing,it was sometimes known as "Linhaishan". [1] Under Japanese rule,the cape was known as Garan Bi [2] or Garanbi [3] from the Japanese pronunciation of characters in Eluanbi. It is also sometimes known as Eluan Pi [4] or Oluanpi; [3] as Gaw-loan-phi, [5] Ngoluanpi,or Goa-loan-pi from its Hokkien pronunciation;or as South Cape from its position. [6]
Eluanbi is the southernmost point of the Hengchun Peninusla ,making it the southernmost point on Formosa or Taiwan Island. The area's geologic formation is known as the Eluanbi Beds ( 層 ,céng),a Pleistocene stratum of yellow and brown sand,gravel,and clay. [3] The nearby highlands are considered an extension of Taiwan's Central Mountain Range.
Current international agreement places the boundary between the East and South China Seas at Cape Fugui,Taiwan's northernmost point, [7] but Eluanbi—still under its Japanese name "Garan Bi"—forms part of the boundary between the East China and Philippine Seas. [2] The still-unapproved draft for a new edition of the IHO's Limits of Oceans and Seas makes "Eluan Cape" part of the northern boundary of the South China Sea [8] the southern boundary of the Taiwan Strait, [9] and part of the western border of the Philippine Sea. [10]
Informally,Eluanbi may also be considered part of the Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel between the territory of Taiwan and the Philippines.
Archaeologists have found evidence of prehistoric habitation at Eluanbi dating to around 3100 BC. [11] [12] The remains are similar to those of the Xiantao culture found on the islands of Taitung County [12] but known locally as "Oluanpi-I". [11] Pottery and weaving began to appear under the "Kenting" around 2500 BC. [11] Around 1500 BC,the "Oluanpi-III" curtailed lowland farming and retreated to more defensive communities in the highlands;it developed into the "Oluanpi-IV" around 50 BC. [11] About the same time,the separate Hsiang-lin culture settled in the area's river valleys and lowlands;the Kueishan culture followed them around the 2nd century and the Ami around the 5th. [11] By that point,hunting had become a ritual act and pastime for its well-developed farming communities,rather than a means of survival. [11] The Paiwan eventually replaced the local people in the highlands,expanding from the north. [11] The Siraya,from a legendary origin on Xiaoliuqiu,settled into the area's lowlands from the 8th century and were the first to greatly sinify themselves. [11]
Under the early Qing,the area around the cape continued to be held by Taiwanese aborigines such as the Paiwan. The cape's strong currents and nearby Qixingyan reefs produced numerous shipwrecks,provoking international incidents in the case of the Rover in 1867 and a Ryukyu convoy in 1871 that led to American and Japanese invasions of the island.
The American consul at Xiamen (then known as "Amoy") Charles Le Gendre advised the Viceroy of Liangjiang Shen Baozhen of the risk to Chinese control of Taiwan posed by its official disavowal of control over native-held lands on the island. [13] Shen reformed the civil and military administrations on Taiwan,launched assaults against restive tribes,and began a public works program on the southern coast including a lighthouse at Eluanbi. [14] [15] Construction of the lighthouse fell under the purview of the British diplomat Robert Hart, [13] who served as inspector general of the Imperial Maritime Customs Service. He sent agents to purchase the southern cape from the leaders of the Kuie Chia Chiao ( 龜 仔 角 ;Guīzǎijiǎo) in 1875. [13] This gesture did not keep the Paiwan and other tribes from raids and assaults against the Chinese construction projects,which necessitated garrisoning and fortifying Eluanbi. The lighthouse itself was finally raised between 1881 and 1883, [13] entering service on 1 April 1883. [16]
The lighthouse,its staff,and its garrison were initially overseen by British customs officers and German military officers. The site was protected by 18-pound cannons,Gatling guns,and a mortar. Provisions were kept for three weeks in the event of a siege. [17]
The Qing structure was heavily damaged during the First Sino-Japanese War,with the retreating Qing attempting to demolish it themselves. It was repaired in 1898 following the Japanese occupation of the island. It was under Japanese occupation that the cape was recognized as the southernmost point on the island,and the lighthouse was popularized by the Japanese as one of the Eight Views of Taiwan.
The cape was a major station for the Japanese whaling industry, [18] [19] targeting humpback whales in Banana and South Bays. [20] [21] The site's importance to the whaling industry was underscored by the design of its Shinto shrine,one of only five in the world to use baleen whales' jawbones to form their torii gates.
The fortified lighthouse was seriously damaged again during World War II by Allied bombing;the shrine was destroyed at the same time.
The Nationalist government rebuilt the lighthouse in 1947. [16] The accidental exposure of several stone coffins near the lighthouse in 1956 prompted investigation of the area by the archaeologists Sung Wen-tung and Lin Chao-chi that year and again in 1966. [11] The lighthouse grounds were turned into a national park in 1982. During the construction of paths and walkways prior to its opening,further prehistoric relics were found in 1981 and excavated over the next two years by teams under Li Kuang-chou. [11]
In 1992 Eluanbi Lighthouse was among the first lighthouses on Taiwan to be opened to the general public,and its popularity motivated the Maritime and Port Bureau to open others elsewhere. [4] By 2014,it was receiving more than 300,000 visitors a year,many of them tourists from Mainland China. [4]
The cape is located within the 59 ha (150-acre) [12] Eluanbi Park, [22] part of the larger Kenting National Park that covers the southern end of the Hengchun Peninsula.
A viewing platform with a rock marker [23] at the island's southernmost point has become a tourist attraction. [24] [25]
Fishing and marine sports are popular in the area,but it also includes some nature reserves such as the Longkeng Ecological Protection Area ( 龍 坑 生態 保護區 ). [26] Located around Banana Bay,Longkeng preserves coral reefs and an old-growth forest. [27] The seas around Eluanbi are no longer home to any native whales, [28] [29] but it remains abundantly stocked with smaller cetaceans such as dolphins, [30] [31] [32] with sea turtles, [33] and bull sharks. [34] In particular,the 26 species of terrestrial crabs that inhabit the cape make it the most biologically diverse location for land crabs in the world. [35]
The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is 130 km wide.
Pingtung County is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park,Taiwan's oldest national park,is located in the county. The county seat is Pingtung City.
The Rover Incident occurred on 12 March 1867 when the American merchant ship Rover,captained by Joseph Hunt who was accompanied by his wife Mercy G. Beerman Hunt,and en route from Shantou to Niuzhuang,was wrecked off the coast of Taiwan,then ruled by the Qing dynasty. The ship struck a coral reef called Qixingyan near Cape Eluanbi and drifted into the area of Kenting in modern-day Hengchun,Pingtung County,Taiwan. Fourteen American sailors,including Hunt and his wife,were killed by Taiwanese Aborigines in revenge for earlier killings of Kaolut (Koalut/Ku-a-lut/etc) tribe members by foreigners. Subsequently,the U.S. military decided to send a military expedition against the tribe members responsible.
Orchid Island,also known by other names,is a 45 km2 (17 sq mi) volcanic island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan,which Orchid Island is part of. It is separated from the Batanes of the Philippines by the Bashi Channel of the Luzon Strait. It is governed as Lanyu Township of Taitung County,Taiwan Province,Republic of China which also includes the nearby Lesser Orchid Island.
The Paiwan are an indigenous people of Taiwan. They speak the Paiwan language. In 2014,the Paiwan numbered 96,334. This was approximately 17.8% of Taiwan's total indigenous population,making them the second-largest indigenous group.
Kenting National Park,commonly known as Kenting,is a national park located on the Hengchun Peninsula of Pingtung County,Taiwan,covering Hengchun,Checheng,and Manzhou Townships. Established on 1 January 1984,it is Taiwan's oldest and the southernmost national park on the main island,covering the southernmost area of the Taiwan island along Bashi Channel. Administered by the Executive Yuan's Ministry of the Interior,this national park is well known for its tropical climate and sunshine,scenic mountain and beach,the Spring Scream rock-band festival held in every March,and has long been one of the most popular tourist destinations in Taiwan with 5.84 million visitors in 2016.
Hengchun Township is a township located on the southern tip of the Hengchun Peninusla in Pingtung County,Taiwan. It is the southernmost township in Taiwan. Hengchun is also the only urban township in the southern part of Pingtung County. Hengchun has a land area of 136.76 km2 (52.80 sq mi) and has a population of 29,798 as of August 2023.
Eluanbi Lighthouse is a lighthouse located on Cape Eluanbi,the southernmost point of the main island of Taiwan,which separates Taiwan's South Bay from Banana Bay and the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea from the Philippine Sea. It is near Eluan Village in the township of Hengchun in Pingtung County,Taiwan. The lighthouse is open to the public all year around.
The Formosan sika deer is a subspecies of sika deer endemic to the island of Taiwan. Formosan sika,like most of the terrestrial fauna and flora of Taiwan,arrived on the island during Pleistocene glacial periods when lower sea levels connected Taiwan to the Asian mainland.
The Formosa Expedition,or the Taiwan Expedition of 1867,was a punitive expedition launched by the United States against the Paiwan,an indigenous Taiwanese tribe. The expedition was undertaken in retaliation for the Rover incident,in which the Rover,an American bark,was wrecked and its crew massacred by Paiwan warriors in March 1867. A United States Navy and Marine company landed in southern Taiwan and attempted to advance into the Paiwan village. The Paiwan responded with guerrilla warfare,repeatedly ambushing,skirmishing,disengaging and retreating. Eventually,the Marines' commander was killed and they retreated to their ship due to fatigue and heat exhaustion,and the Paiwan dispersed and retreated into the jungle. The action is regarded as an American failure.
South Bay,also known by other names,is a bay and adjacent beach near Hengchun in Pingtung County,Taiwan. It is part of Kenting National Park.
The Hengchun Line is a planned branch line of the Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) South-link line which plans to connect Taiwan's southern capital Kaohsiung to Kenting,a popular tourist destination located in Hengchun. Express train service that connects Xinzuoying Station,the major hub for both Taiwan High Speed Rail and Taiwan Railways Administration trains,to Hengchun is also planned. Construction will start in 2017.
Provincial Highway 26 is a Taiwanese highway that starts from Fangshan,Pingtung County and ends in Daren,Taitung County. The highway is also known as Ping-E Highway (屏鵝公路) for the stretch between Fangshan and Cape Eluanbi in Kenting National Park,and Jia-E Highway (佳鵝公路) between Cape Eluanbi and Jialeshui (佳樂水). It is the primary highway to Kenting National Park and the beaches in Kenting. The route length is 93.5 kilometres (58.1 mi).
The Frog Rock is a rock in Hengchun Township,Pingtung County,Taiwan. The rock is part of Kenting National Park.
Cape Fugui,Cape Fukwei,Fukwei Chiao,Fuguei Cape,or Fugui Cape is a cape located at the northernmost point of the island of Taiwan. It is located in Cape Fugui Park within the Shimen District in New Taipei City.
Cape Maobitou is a cape in the township of Hengchun in Pingtung County,Taiwan. It lies within Kenting National Park and forms the western boundary of South Bay. It is one of the southernmost points on Taiwan Island,sits opposite to the Cape Eluanbi in the southeast.
Crotalaria similis,also known as the Pingtung Curara pea,belongs to the family Fabaceae and genus Crotalaria. It is a perennial crawling herb,an endemic species of Taiwan which the distribution is limited to the Eastern seaside of the Hengchun Peninsula.
Piper kawakamii,also known as the Kawakamii pepper,is a flowering plant in the family Piperaceae. It is a native endemic species in Taiwan. The plant is mainly distributed in the Hengchun Peninsula. It was collected by Takiya Kawakami at the Kuraru Community,on July 2,1906. In 1911,the plant was published by BunzōHayata as a new species. The type specimen of this plant is being preserved in the Botanical Gardens,Graduate School of Science,the University of Tokyo,Japan. and the Herbarium of Taiwan Forest Research Institute