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.
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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.
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Dr Lau
Chinese Medicine Practitioner
Dr Lau Tai-yum can recall the days when Lee Garden was just a quarry where he and his school friends would play. “There were only a couple of shops…
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Michell Lie
Brand manager, ink artist & candle maker
“In my eyes, Causeway Bay is a cultural gem. I spent my entire secondary school life here, living next to Victoria Park…
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Jocelyn: “I moved to Hong Kong from the Chicago suburbs at the age of 11. Causeway Bay was a total assault on the senses in the best way possible – there is so much energy and vibrancy, but also an an instant connection to the pulse of Hong Kong.”
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Gwyneth
Shop owner
“I studied design and used to work in marketing. One day, I did a fashion show and one of the sponsors asked why I wasn’t in fashion because I seemed to have a sense for it…

