Fuguijiao Lighthouse

Fuguijiao stands at the northernmost point of Taiwan proper, a lighthouse of 1897 rebuilt in an octagonal form with black and white stripes, on a headland of andesite reef and wind-flattened grass. The wind here is constant and severe enough that the vegetation grows in a permanent lean, and a stone-walled path leads out to the light past a wind-sculpted rock platform. The old military coastal fabric has been opened as a park.

What you actually see

• The striped lighthouse - an octagonal tower in black and white bands at the island's tip.
• The wind-shaped vegetation - grass and shrubs permanently flattened by the wind.
• The andesite reef - volcanic rock platform running out into the sea.
• The northernmost point - the actual tip of Taiwan proper, marked on the headland.

When to go

October to April is clearest, though the winter wind is punishing. Summer is hot with no shade on the walk. Sunset from the headland is the best light.

Honest expectations

The wind is genuinely strong and can make the walk unpleasant. The lighthouse itself is not open to visitors. There is no shade on the twenty-minute walk out.

Nearby

Jinshan is east along the coast, and Tamsui is southwest.