Menu

Noonday Gun


A beloved tradition

A loud ‘bang’ echoes from the Causeway Bay waterfront at precisely 12pm every day. It’s the Noonday Gun, a three-pound artillery gun mounted overlooking the harbour, which has been fired at this time every day since the 1860s. This tradition dates back to colonial days when Jardine Matheson owned a number of large warehouses in the area that is now Causeway Bay. Back then, the company had a policy of firing a one-gun salute from this location every time the head of Jardine sailed into Hong Kong. The story goes that a Royal Naval Officer, who was new to Hong Kong, took offence at the practise because gun salutes were meant only for military commanders, not for civilians, no matter how important. As punishment, the Officer required that Jardine fire the gun every day at noon to help the public keep track of the time, and the tradition has continued more than 150 years to the present day.

More Stories

Causeway Bay: Then & Now


Feature

Causeway Bay embodies the many facets of Hong Kong – the fast pace, fascinating contrasts and dynamic energy. From the city’s very beginning to the present day, its diversity and vibrancy makes it a beloved neighbourhood.

  • Christopher DeWolf


    Journalist

    Ever since he was a teenager, Christopher DeWolf has been fascinated by cities: “I’ve always been interested in them and what makes them tick….

    Interviews
  • Yolanda Ng


    District Councillor of Wan Chai

    For Yolanda Ng, becoming District Councillor of Wan Chai was somewhat a stroke of fate. From a young age, the Hong Kong born-and-bred Yolanda aspired to be a writer…

    Interviews
  • Jimmy Lee


    Owner, Red Pepper

    “In 1967, I worked as an apprentice at an architecture office by day and then went to night school. I worked on the first floor of the Lee Garden building…

    Streetsnaps
  • Jimmy Leung


    Martial artist and Founder, THE FIGHTERS CLUB

    If it were up to Jimmy Leung, he’d have begun his martial arts training when he was a little kid. But the biggest adversary to his plan wasn’t some opponent in the ring…

    Interviews
  • Andrew Chui


    Managing Director, Tai Ping Koon Restaurant Group

    Tai Ping Koon started in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty, when Guangzhou was an accessible entrepôt for foreign trade…

    Interviews
  • Yau Lee Bean Sauce


    1A Canal Road East

    Nestled in the bustling Canal Street, Yau Lee Bean Sauce has been a top purveyor of fu yu (fermented bean curd) in Hong Kong for nearly 60 years.

    Streetsnaps
  • Zoroastrian Prayer Hall in Causeway Bay


    Neville Shroff, President, and Ervad Homyar Nasirabadwala, Priest of The Incorporated Trustees of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao

    Zoroastrianism is known as the oldest practiced religion in the world: originating in ancient Persia over three thousand years ago…

    Interviews
  • Irene Lee


    Chairman of Hysan Development

    There are very few people who know the origin of a suburb, let alone one as integral to Hong Kong as Causeway Bay. But for Irene Lee, granddaughter of Lee Hysan and current chairman of Hysan Development, she can look back on the neighbourhood’s inception…

    Interviews

Celebrating Causeway Bay


Feature

A neighbourhood in flux, Causeway Bay’s constant evolution keeps residents and visitors coming back for more. Whether it’s fashion, food, film or art, it’s a part of Hong Kong that keeps people mesmerised and inspired.

Causeway Bay: Then & Now


Feature

Causeway Bay embodies the many facets of Hong Kong – the fast pace, fascinating contrasts and dynamic energy. From the city’s very beginning to the present day, its diversity and vibrancy makes it a beloved neighbourhood.

  • Andrew Chui


    Managing Director, Tai Ping Koon Restaurant Group

    Tai Ping Koon started in 1860 during the Qing Dynasty, when Guangzhou was an accessible entrepôt for foreign trade…

    Interviews
  • Yau Lee Bean Sauce


    1A Canal Road East

    Nestled in the bustling Canal Street, Yau Lee Bean Sauce has been a top purveyor of fu yu (fermented bean curd) in Hong Kong for nearly 60 years.

    Streetsnaps
  • Zoroastrian Prayer Hall in Causeway Bay


    Neville Shroff, President, and Ervad Homyar Nasirabadwala, Priest of The Incorporated Trustees of the Zoroastrian Charity Funds of Hong Kong, Canton & Macao

    Zoroastrianism is known as the oldest practiced religion in the world: originating in ancient Persia over three thousand years ago…

    Interviews
  • Irene Lee


    Chairman of Hysan Development

    There are very few people who know the origin of a suburb, let alone one as integral to Hong Kong as Causeway Bay. But for Irene Lee, granddaughter of Lee Hysan and current chairman of Hysan Development, she can look back on the neighbourhood’s inception…

    Interviews