XN000022-1977-09-04 — Page 3

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1977

REWARDING LIFE OF A LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER

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EACH WEEK, MR. LI CHIH-TOU, AGED 53, TAKES A TWO HOUR BOAT JOURNEY THROUGH CHOPPY SEAS TO BEGIN AN ASSIGNMENT IN SOLITARY VIGIL ON WAGLAN ISLAND AT THE SOUTH-EASTERN END OF HONG KONG.

MR. LI HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR OVER 20 YEARS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PASSENGERS, CARGOES, AND CREW MEMBERS OF SHIPS THAT SAIL TO AND FROM HONG KONG. FOR MR. LI, WITH A TEAM OF 17 OTHERS, ARE LIGHTHOUSE STAFF OF WAGLAN ISLAND.

THEIR DEDICATION MAY BE LITTLE KNOWN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BUT IS NOT UNAPPRECIATED BY THOSE WHO SAIL THE HIGH SEAS.

+MANY SHIPS WHICH CALL REGULARLY AT HONG KONG HAVE BECOME OUR OLD FRIENDS,+ SAID MR. LI. WHENEVER THEY PASS BY, THEY NEVER FAIL TO SEND US A WARM 'HELLO WAGLAN' SIGNAL OR SEASON'S GREETINGS.+

MR. LI STILL REMEMBERS THE TIME HE FIRST SET FOOT ON THE TINY ISLAND TO MAN THE LIGHTHOUSE.

+THAT WAS IN 1950'S WHEN THERE WAS NO TELEVISION. RADIC HONG KONG THEN WAS ONLY BROADCASTING A FEW HOURS A DAY.WE HAD NO NEWSPAPERS TO READ AND WE WERE COMPLETELY CUT QFF FROM OUR FAMILIES AND FRIENDS FOR FOUR WEEKS AT A STRETCH,+

YET, LIVING SO FAR AWAY FROM THE HUSTLE AND BUSTLE OF THE CITY HAS ITS REWARDS.

WE ARE FREE TO SPEND OUR LEISURE IN OUR OWN WAY - SOME LIKE TO READ, SOME GO FISHING AND SOME TAKE UP HANDICRAFT AS A HOBBY. THERE IS NO TRAFFIC TO MIND AND NO APPOINTMENTS TO MEET, WHILE THE BRACING AIR IS INVIGORATING AND THE VIEW OF THE VAST EXPANSE OF THE OCEAN FROM HERE IS UNPARALLELED ANYWHERE ELSE, MR. LI SAID.

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THE QUICK PACE OF DEVELOPMENT IN HONG KONG, HOWEVER IS CATCHING UP WITH THEM. NOT ONLY CAN THEY NOW WATCH HAPPENINGS BACK IN THE CITY ON THE TELEVISION SCREEN EVERY EVENING AND LISTEN TO A CHOICE OF RADIO PROGRAMMES LATE AT NIGHT, WITH BETTER TRANSPORT FACILITIES THEY CAN NOW RETURN FROM WAGLAN EVERY WEEK FOR TIME OFF.

SEA-BORNE TRAFFIC TOO HAS BECOME BUSIER THAN THOSE DAYS WHEN CONTAINERSHIPS WERE UNHEARD OF, AND SUPER-TANKERS WERE STILL ON THE DRAWING BOARD.

+WE NOW HAVE TO MONITOR ABOUT 40 OCEAN-GOING SHIPS COMING IN OR LEAVING EACH DAY AND ON SOME DAYS WE MAY HAVE UP TO 60 VESSELS,+ MR. LI SAID.

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