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EXPLORING TIÊN SA LIGHTHOUSE: THE MYSTERY OF THE BROKEN GRAVESTONE

By Mr Old Man

Posted on April 1, 2025

4 min read

I have often braved the steep, grueling slopes—some with inclines exceeding 20%—on the Sơn Trà Peninsula to visit the ancient Tiên Sa Lighthouse, a challenging check-in spot for many cycling enthusiasts.

Perched at an altitude of 223 meters above sea level, with a vast primeval forest on one side and the endless blue ocean on the other, Tiên Sa Lighthouse was built by the French in 1902. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in Vietnam, alongside Hòn Dấu (Hải Phòng), Kê Gà (Bình Thuận), Bảy Cạnh (Vũng Tàu), and Đại Lãnh (Phú Yên) lighthouses.

Though located just 20 km from downtown Đà Nẵng, its rugged access route meant that Tiên Sa Lighthouse remained relatively unknown until recent years when it gained broader media attention.

Now over 120 years old, the lighthouse remains operational, guiding ships through the night and serving as a favorite check-in spot for adventure-loving travelers.

The Mystery of the Broken Gravestone

A friend returning from a cycling trip to Tiên Sa Lighthouse sent me a photo of a broken stone tablet, asking if it might be a plaque bearing the name of the lighthouse’s designer.

The remaining half of the tablet contained a few carved words: GASTON … DÉCE… LE… 15 MARS 1909.

Piecing together the fragments, I speculated that the tablet bore the name of a Frenchman named Gaston, who passed away on March 15, 1909. The word “déce” could be short for “décédé,” meaning “deceased” or “passed away” in English.

Tiên Sa Lighthouse still has an inscription listing the names of two engineers—Barbier Benard and Turenne—as well as the name of the lighthouse equipment manufacturer: Paris Blanc Misseron, 32 Curial Street. This suggests that Gaston was neither the designer nor the builder of the lighthouse, but possibly a French lighthouse keeper who passed away on that date.

I vaguely recall seeing a grave somewhere in front of the lighthouse’s administrative building, near the sea, but I am not entirely sure. I have urged my friend to return, search for the grave, and restore the broken gravestone to its rightful place.

If I get another chance to visit, I plan to further investigate Tiên Sa Lighthouse and share my findings with curious readers.