Noon-day Gun
Encyclopedia
The Noonday Gun is a former naval artillery
mounted on a small enclosed site near the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter
on Hong Kong Island
, Hong Kong
. Owned and operated by Jardine Matheson, the gun is fired every day at noon and is a tourist attraction.
, the location on which the Noonday Gun is located was known as East Point
. East Point was the first plot of land in Hong Kong to be sold by the colonial government
by public auction in 1841, and was purchased by Jardine Matheson. Due to a change in geographical profile caused by later land reclamation
, the name East Point is now disused.
The tradition originated over an incident in the 1860s. Jardines' main godowns and offices were located at East Point, and its private militia
would fire a gun salute to welcome a Jardines tai-pan
s' arrival by sea. On one occasion, a senior British naval officer
became annoyed by this practice because he was new to Hong Kong and did not know of such a tradition. This was because such a salute was normally reserved for government officials and senior officers of the armed services
. As a result, Jardines was ordered, as a penalty, to fire a gun every day at noon, for perpetuity.
In 1941, during the Japanese occupation
of Hong Kong, the Japanese Imperial Army dismantled the gun and it was lost. After British forces regained Hong Kong in 1945, the Royal Navy provided Jardines with a new six-pound gun with which to continue the tradition of the noon-day gun. On 1 July 1947, the Noonday gun was back in operation. Following complaints that the gun is too loud, in 1961 the marine police replaced the six-pound gun with a Hotchkiss three-pounder
that saw action in the Battle of Jutland
during the First World War.
Although British rule ended in Hong Kong in 1997, the tradition of the noonday gun is continued by Jardines
. A small crowd usually gathers for this daily event. Other than noon, the gun is also fired by a Jardines official at midnight every New Year's Day to celebrate the new year. At the daily firing event, a Jardines guard marches up to the site in uniform. The guard rings a bell to signal the end of the fore-noon watch, a practice which dates from the time when Jardines' main offices and warehouses were located at East Point. Then, the guard marches up to the Noonday Gun and fires it., after which he rings the bell again, locks the chain blocking access to the gun and goes off.
It is accessed from a tunnel passing under Gloucester Road
from the basement car park in The Excelsior
hotel, which is operated by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a Jardines subsidiary.
's humorous song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen
".
Naval artillery
Naval artillery, or naval riflery, is artillery mounted on a warship for use in naval warfare. Naval artillery has historically been used to engage either other ships, or targets on land; in the latter role it is currently termed naval gunfire fire support...
mounted on a small enclosed site near the Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter
Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter
Causeway Bay Typhoon Shelter is a typhoon shelter located in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, between the Hong Kong Island entrance of Cross Harbour Tunnel on Kellett Island and Island Eastern Corridor. Its size is about 14 hectares...
on Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Owned and operated by Jardine Matheson, the gun is fired every day at noon and is a tourist attraction.
Origin
Now part of Causeway BayCauseway Bay
Causeway Bay is a heavily built-up area of Hong Kong, People's Republic of China, located on the Hong Kong Island, and covering parts of Wan Chai and Eastern districts. The Chinese name is also romanized as Tung Lo Wan as in Tung Lo Wan Road...
, the location on which the Noonday Gun is located was known as East Point
East Point, Hong Kong
East Point was a cape on the northern shore of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It was a pointed headland that extended from Jardine's Hill, i.e. Lee Garden towards the Kellett Island. It marked the eastern limits of the early City of Victoria. The piece of land separated Causeway Bay in the east and...
. East Point was the first plot of land in Hong Kong to be sold by the colonial government
Colonial Hong Kong
In the 19th century the British, Dutch, French, Indians and Americans saw Imperial China as the world's largest untapped market. In 1840 the British Empire launched their first and one of the most aggressive expeditionary forces to claim the territory that would later be known as Hong Kong.In a few...
by public auction in 1841, and was purchased by Jardine Matheson. Due to a change in geographical profile caused by later land reclamation
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
, the name East Point is now disused.
The tradition originated over an incident in the 1860s. Jardines' main godowns and offices were located at East Point, and its private militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
would fire a gun salute to welcome a Jardines tai-pan
Tai-Pan
The term tai-pan was originally used to describe a foreign businessman in China or Hong Kong in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Cantonese colloquialism is now used in a more general sense for business executives of any origin...
s' arrival by sea. On one occasion, a senior British naval officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
became annoyed by this practice because he was new to Hong Kong and did not know of such a tradition. This was because such a salute was normally reserved for government officials and senior officers of the armed services
Armed Services
Armed Services is a collective term that refers to the major organisational entities of national armed forces, so named because they service a combat need in a specific combat environment. In most states Armed Services include the Army also known as Land Force or Ground Force, Navy also know a...
. As a result, Jardines was ordered, as a penalty, to fire a gun every day at noon, for perpetuity.
In 1941, during the Japanese occupation
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
of Hong Kong, the Japanese Imperial Army dismantled the gun and it was lost. After British forces regained Hong Kong in 1945, the Royal Navy provided Jardines with a new six-pound gun with which to continue the tradition of the noon-day gun. On 1 July 1947, the Noonday gun was back in operation. Following complaints that the gun is too loud, in 1961 the marine police replaced the six-pound gun with a Hotchkiss three-pounder
QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss
The QF 3 pounder Hotchkiss was a light 47-mm naval gun introduced in 1886 to defend against new small fast vessels such as torpedo boats, and later submarines...
that saw action in the Battle of Jutland
Battle of Jutland
The Battle of Jutland was a naval battle between the British Royal Navy's Grand Fleet and the Imperial German Navy's High Seas Fleet during the First World War. The battle was fought on 31 May and 1 June 1916 in the North Sea near Jutland, Denmark. It was the largest naval battle and the only...
during the First World War.
Tourist attraction
Jardine Matheson Holdings
Jardine Matheson Holdings Limited often referred to as Jardines, is a multinational corporation incorporated in Bermuda and based in Hong Kong. While listed on the London Stock Exchange and the Singapore Exchange, the vast majority of Jardines shares are traded in Singapore...
. A small crowd usually gathers for this daily event. Other than noon, the gun is also fired by a Jardines official at midnight every New Year's Day to celebrate the new year. At the daily firing event, a Jardines guard marches up to the site in uniform. The guard rings a bell to signal the end of the fore-noon watch, a practice which dates from the time when Jardines' main offices and warehouses were located at East Point. Then, the guard marches up to the Noonday Gun and fires it., after which he rings the bell again, locks the chain blocking access to the gun and goes off.
It is accessed from a tunnel passing under Gloucester Road
Gloucester Road, Hong Kong
Gloucester Road is a major road in Hong Kong. It is in the north of Wan Chai and East Point on Hong Kong Island. It connects to Harcourt Road at its western end and it ends east along west side of Victoria Park. It forms part of Hong Kong's Route 4 and connects to the Island Eastern Corridor via...
from the basement car park in The Excelsior
The Excelsior (Hong Kong)
The Excelsior is a hotel located at Lot No.1 , which is the first plot of land sold at auction after Hong Kong became a British Colony in 1841. The Noon-day Gun is located opposite the hotel, which was built in 1973.The hotel is now owned and operated by Mandarin Oriental.-External links:* *...
hotel, which is operated by Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, a Jardines subsidiary.
In popular culture
The firing of the gun was famously mentioned in Noel CowardNoël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise".Born in Teddington, a suburb of London, Coward attended a dance academy...
's humorous song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Mad Dogs and Englishmen (song)
"Mad Dogs and Englishmen" is a song written by Noël Coward and first performed in The Third Little Show at the Music Box Theatre, New York, on 1 June 1931, by Beatrice Lillie. The following year it was used in the revue Words and Music and also released in a "studio version"...
".
See also
- Noon GunNoon GunThe Noon Gun has been an historic time signal in Cape Town, South Africa since 1806. The gun is situated on Signal Hill, close to the centre of the city.- History :...
: Signal HillSignal Hill (Cape Town)Signal Hill aka Lion's Rump, is a landmark flat-topped hill located in Cape Town, next to Lion's Head and Table Mountain.The hill is also known as "The Lion's Flank", but this term is obsolete...
, Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
, South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... - One O'Clock Gun: Edinburgh CastleEdinburgh CastleEdinburgh Castle is a fortress which dominates the skyline of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, from its position atop the volcanic Castle Rock. Human habitation of the site is dated back as far as the 9th century BC, although the nature of early settlement is unclear...
, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.