The lighthouse on Meiji Reef

China Post issued a set of postage stamps on Oct. 28 featuring five lighthouses located in the South China Sea. With a simple and elegant design, the stamps showcase multi-functional lighthouses built since 2015.

The five chosen lighthouses support safe navigation in the region, reducing risks and accidents. A transportation official named Shi Junfeng said that the lighthouses provide services including route guidance, navigation and safety bulletins, improving navigational aid and emergency rescue in their adjacent waters.

The designers of the lighthouses incorporated various Chinese cultural images into the blueprints, conveying the friendliness of Chinese people to foreign seafarers. Completed in 137 days, the lighthouses in Huayang and Chigua reefs set records for the shortest construction time in China's history.

The light emitted by the lighthouses covers a range of up to 22 nautical miles. In addition, the Automatic Identification System and Very High Frequency base stations installed in all five lighthouses further ensure the safety of vessels in the South China Sea.

Shi commented that even though the construction of these lighthouses was challenging, it felt worthwhile each time their lights finally turned on. 

The lighhouse on Zhubi Reef

The lighthouse on Huayang Reef