Nine-floor Lighthouse

by Lin Hsin-Chen

There is a lighthouse in my childhood traveling memory. It’s the guardian of Taiwan’s southernmost tip and it prevents vessels from the threat of complex ocean currents. I revisit the lighthouse after 50 years. Surprisingly, due to the change of time, now visitors can come closer to the building and take a closer look. I count carefully and it looks like a nine-floor lighthouse. The lighthouse is made of iron and well-preserved. It was built in 1883. It is 21.4 meters high, 1.8 million candle power with the irradiation distance of 27.2 nautical miles. It is also known as “The Light of East Asia.”

Ever since I got married, I started to see things from different angles. I might not be curious about the floors of the lighthouse if my husband is not an architect. I have a special feeling when the number nine comes to me. According to my blurred childhood memory, the lighthouse wasn’t that tall and there was a spiral staircase. What a chance to refresh my memory! Many imaginations are also derived from the trip. I kept thinking about “rotating” during the trip. I was so happy and felt like going to heaven.

The reveal day is approaching. Though I’ve found a feeling to create something, I have not yet found the time to start sewing. It makes me feel nervous and want to climb up a spiral staircase so that I could "reach heaven in a single bound." Best wishes to everyone!