[1] Shipwrecks were common around Cape Eluanbi in the early modern era owing to the nearby Qixingyan reefs and strong currents.

The hostile native reactions to these accidents rose to the level of international incidents in the case of the Rover and a Ryukyu convoy, which prompted invasions from the United States and Japan in 1867 and 1874.

In the latter case, the Qing Dynasty explicitly disavowed responsibility for native-held areas on Taiwan Island, creating a power vacuum that threatened Japanese or European colonization of the region.

Following the advice of Charles Le Gendre,[4] the American consul at Xiamen (then known as "Amoy"), the Viceroy of Liangjiang, Shen Baozhen, began constructing coastal defenses to improve the situation.

[5][3] Construction of the Eluanbi Lighthouse fell under the purview of the British diplomat Robert Hart,[4] inspector general of the Imperial Maritime Customs Service.

[4] Although Shen largely favored French officers like Prosper Giquel,[5] Hart placed construction of the Eluanbi works under the English engineer John Reginald Harding[6] and architect W. F.

[10] Their arsenal included two 18-pounder cannons, two Gatling guns, and a Cohon mortar;[8] and they maintained food and water provisions capable of lasting a three-month siege.

[8] The foreign staff had spacious brick bungalows whose rooms were connected by bulletproof corridors to the 4 m2 (40 sq ft) fort; they stayed in quarters inside the tower during assaults.