The Wucioiu Lighthouse was built in 1874 during the Qing Dynasty to serve as a navigation aid for ships sailing between Fuzhou and Xiamen. It was designed by chief engineer David Marr Henderson with construction supervised by deputy engineer John Ropinald. To build the lighthouse, very exact calculations were made on the materials required and these were then shipped from Shanghai. During World War II, Japan occupied Wuciou Island (1943~1945) and garrisoned troops in the lighthouse but the lighthouse caretaker continued to keep the light running. On the eve of Japanese surrender, American fighters attacked Japanese military ships and the lighthouse, destroying the top of the tower and lighting equipment. When the Japanese withdrew from Wuciou, they bombarded the lighthouse again. In 1945, the British repaired the lighthouse but in 1948, it was damaged again during the Chinese Civil War. As the lighthouse was out of commission, the caretakers were temporarily withdrawn to Taiwan and did not return until the lighthouse was repaired (the oil lamps were placed by five electric lights). In 1951, the lighthouse beacon was turned off due to military necessity though painting and maintenance continued. Between 1960 and 1975, the military made improvements to the lighthouse such as concreting the stone walls, increasing its height, adding house inside the walls and digging a connecting tunnel. In 1975, the military borrowed the lighthouse and, with Customs approval, removed the lens assembly. Between 1874 and 2006, the lighthouse served its mission as a navigation beacon for 133 years.