Photo provided to China Daily

Stationed at the lighthouse since the 1970s, Wang has developed a deep attachment to it.

In the early 1990s, the local government proposed to demolish the lighthouse. It was Wang who insisted on keeping it.

"The lighthouse is Qingdao's treasure; it has a history of more than 100 years," Wang says. "I told them if they want to take the lighthouse down, they have to take me down first."

After several petitions with evidence showing the historical value of the lighthouse, Wang's persistence saved the facility.

In 2008, the lighthouse was included in a list of national key cultural heritage sites.

In 2010, with the support of Qingdao Maritime Navigational Aid Bureau, an exhibition about local coastal navigation opened in the small exhibition hall next to the lighthouse.

Many items on display were collected and preserved over the past 30 years by Wang, who was also the guide of the exhibition.

More than 6,700 people have visited the exhibition.

"I am happy that more and more people come to visit the Tuan Island Lighthouse, and learn the history and culture of maritime navigational aids," Wang says.

Xing Yi contributed to the story.