Lighthouse FDC from TAIWAN

FDC Name:Light House
Issue date:20th JUL'2010

Details:

A lighthouse is a structure used as a beacon or signal to warn or guide ships at sea. Lighthouses make great contributions to marine navigation safety, commerce and the development of trade, as well as a nation’s international image. Chunghwa Post first issued a set of stamps on lighthouses in 1989, and now it is following up with another set of four stamps on the topic, featuring the Chilung Tao Lighthouse, the Wenkan Tui Lighthouse, the Paisha Chia Lighthouse, and the Liuchiu Yu Lighthouse. The stamps are painted by Mr. Hung-tu Ko and printed in color offset with spot varnish by China Color Printing Co., Ltd. These stamps was released on July 28, 2010. The designs follow:

1. The Chilung Tao Lighthouse (NT$5): The lighthouse is located at the highest point on Chilung Tao, off Keelung Harbor. Built in 1980, this octagon-shaped concrete tower, with a black-and-white vertical-striped daymark, uses air batteries for electricity. In 1998, the lighthouse switched to solar power. In 2006, wind power was added as a secondary power source. The lighthouse has a nominal range of 13.8 nautical miles.
2. The Wenkan Tui Lighthouse (NT$5): Built in 1914, this skeletal steel frame light tower is located on Waisanding Sandbar off Kouhu Township, Yunlin County. In 1974, due to sandbar shift, the lighthouse was rebuilt and placed in a new location nearby. The new structure is a square tapered steel frame tower, using a fourth-order AC light. In 2006, because of sandbar shift, the lighthouse was moved once again to present location and a radar beacon pole was added. The lighthouse has a nominal range of 13.1 nautical miles.
3. Paisha Chia Lighthouse (NT$10): Built in 1901, this round brick light tower is located in Guanyin Township, Taoyuan County. In 1956, the lighthouse was equipped with a third-order revolving lens light, producing one flash every 20 seconds, alternating between white and red lights. The white and red lights have a luminous intensity of one million and 310,000 candlepower respectively. In 2002 the Taoyuan County Government designated the lighthouse as a county monument. The nominal range of the red light is 22.6 nautical miles, and the range of the white light is 25.7 nautical miles.
4. Liuchiu Yu Lighthouse (NT$25): Built in 1929, this round light tower is located at the highest point on   he south-east coast of Liuchiu Yu off Pingtung County. In 1952, the lighthouse was equipped with a fifth-order acetylene flashing light. In 1980, the light was replaced by an AC light, which has a luminous intensity of 10,000 candlepower. The lighthouse has a nominal range of 14.3 nautical miles.

Remark: Nice FDC sent by Chen on the issue date,The stamps are excellent with different printing surface,India post should learn from TAIWAN that how a small country can produce such high quality stamps due to their professionalism.Great.