Discover the nearly 130-year-old Ke Ga Lighthouse - the tallest lighthouse in Vietnam

Nearly 130 years old, Ke Ga Lighthouse not only stands out for its historical value and unique architecture, but also attracts tourists with its wild and poetic natural scenery.

About 30km from the center of Phan Thiet ward, Lam Dong province, Ke Ga lighthouse appears beautifully in the middle of the brilliant blue sea.

With an age of nearly 130 years, Ke Ga Lighthouse still stands tall as a guiding light for a vast sea and sky, an attractive destination for those who love to explore .

Ke Ga Lighthouse is located on Ke Ga Island (Tan Thanh Commune), about 500m from the mainland, surrounded by blue sea and natural granite blocks with a unique shape like a chicken's head, hence the name "Ke Ga".

This is one of the oldest lighthouses with the most majestic architecture, playing a particularly important role in the maritime safety assurance system of Vietnam.

This lighthouse was built by the French in February 1897 and put into operation in 1900, designed and supervised by French engineer Chanavát.

The 42.8m high lighthouse is built of granite, with an octagonal cylindrical architecture with a solid structure, bearing the mark of 19th-century French architecture.

According to documents from Lam Dong Provincial Museum, there are many dangerous reefs in Lam Dong sea area, many ships passing through and sunk in this area before Ke Ga Lighthouse was built. On the map, there are still many places marked with sunken ships about ten kilometers from Ke Ga Lighthouse and some places closer.

Through exploration and research, the French chose Ke Ga Island to build a lighthouse, to help passing ships determine coordinates and safe directions, avoiding accidents that have occurred. Ke Ga Island is built entirely of stone, with an average height higher than the surrounding areas and jutting out into the sea, so it is also called "Cape".

Ke Ga Lighthouse has special historical, architectural and cultural value. (Photo: Hong Hieu/ VNA)

The main material used to build the lighthouse is ivory or light yellow granite. This type of stone is not available in the province or neighboring provinces, so a large number of ships must be mobilized to transport it from other places.

From the foot to the top of the lighthouse, through 184 spiral stairs, there is 1 main door leading to the top of the lighthouse - where the signal light system is located and 1 door leading outside.

With a height of 41m from the base to the top of the lighthouse, Ke Ga Lighthouse is considered the tallest lighthouse in the existing lighthouse system in our country and is classified as level 1 light (in 3 levels of light) in the maritime safety assurance system in Vietnam.

In the middle of a wild and quiet island, over time, Ke Ga Lighthouse still operates quietly, bringing peace to domestic and foreign ships traveling in this area; signaling and guiding local fishermen's fishing boats to safely return to shore after each offshore fishing trip. The lighthouse is the "eye of the sea" guiding many sailors through danger, like an immortal flame of faith in the hearts of Vietnamese fishermen.

Ke Ga Lighthouse relic is not only outstanding for its historical value and unique architecture but also attractive for its wild and poetic natural scenery. Surrounding Ke Ga Island are natural rocks with many unique shapes, clear blue sea water and fresh air, making it an ideal destination for tourists who love to explore and experience.

Ke Ga Lighthouse was once recognized by the Vietnam Book of Records Center as the tallest lighthouse in the country with 184 spiral stairs and a light range of 22 nautical miles.

Mr. Nguyen Minh, Vice Chairman of Lam Dong Provincial People's Committee, awarded the Provincial Relic Ranking Certificate for Ke Ga Lighthouse to Tan Thanh commune. (Photo: Hong Hieu/ VNA)

Recently, on December 6, the People's Committee of Tan Thanh commune, Lam Dong province held a ceremony to announce the decision to rank the Ke Ga Lighthouse as a provincial-level relic, helping to preserve one of the oldest and largest lighthouses in Vietnam.

To continue to preserve and effectively promote the value of Ke Ga Lighthouse relic associated with promoting tourism development, Mr. Vo Thanh Huy, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Lam Dong province, proposed that the People's Committee of Tan Thanh commune soon coordinate with the South Central Coast Maritime Safety Assurance Unit to establish a relic management board; develop operating regulations, assign specific tasks to each member to coordinate, protect and promote the value of the relic sustainably.

In addition, Tan Thanh commune promotes propaganda and mobilizes businesses, organizations and individuals inside and outside the province to join hands in supporting resources, along with state budget sources to invest in restoration, embellishment and improvement of the landscape environment, contributing to effectively promoting the value of relics./.

(Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/kham-pha-hai-dang-ke-ga-gan-130-nam-tuoi-ngon-hai-dang-cao-nhat-viet-nam-post1081647.vnp