Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
3 days ago
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
4 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
5 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Hong Kong Noonday Gun

Noonday Gun

This naval gun is fired every day at noon, an odd timekeeping tradition the origin of which is local legend.

Hong Kong

Added By
Jaszmina Szendrey
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Noonday Gun   edwin.11
Noonday Gun   edwin.11
The covered gun on the enclosed platform is the Noonday Gun   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
The person who fires the Noonday Gun is, to this day, an employee of Jardine Matheson   edwin.11
Noonday Gun   James Cridland
Take this door way  
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Situated on a small enclosed site in the waterfront district of Causeway Bay, the Noonday Gun is a Hotchkiss three-pound artillery piece that is ceremonially fired every day at (appropriately enough) noon on the dot. While this practice is somewhat charming in its own right, the details behind the practice—such as the owner of the gun, and the purported genesis of the tradition—provide striking insight into Hong Kong's British colonial history.

The gun is owned by Jardine Matheson, a massive British conglomerate that was one of the first trading houses, or "hongs," in Hong Kong. The land that is now Causeway Bay was bought by Jardine Matheson in 1841, and was in fact the first piece of Hong Kong sold at public auction by the eager new colonial government. With its roots in Imperial China, Jardine Matheson was involved in shipping tea and cotton, but also made a great deal of money from the illegal opium trade. They built the company’s main offices and warehouses—known locally as godowns—on the newly acquired plot.

The Noonday Gun has its roots in a 21-pound gun that Jardine Matheson set up on the waterfront of their commercial fiefdom. According to the commonly related story, the company's private militia would fire the gun in salute whenever the head of the company (or, in some versions, whenever one of the company's ships) sailed into or out of the harbor. In 1860, a senior officer of the Royal Navy, new to town and unfamiliar with the practice, found this offensive, as typically only government dignitaries or military officers receive such treatment. As a reprimand, Jardine Matheson was ordered to henceforth fire the gun every day at noon, providing a service in the form of a public time signal.

The probable kernel of truth in this story is the gun's role as a public time signal. This was a common practice in many harbors in the 19th century, allowing all ships within auditory range to correctly calibrate their onboard clocks, which they used on voyages to calculate longitude. Thus, the Noonday Gun is most likely a practical measure that became so common to daily harbor life that it morphed over time into local tradition.

The original gun was dismantled by the occupying Japanese Imperial Army in 1941. A new gun was donated by the Royal Navy after Hong Kong was liberated in 1945; this gun (humorously enough) received noise complaints, and was replaced by the current, smaller gun in 1947. This gun has a history of its own, having seen action in the Battle of Jutland during the First World War.

The Noonday Gun was immortalised in the popular (and cartoonishly racist) song "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" written by Noel Coward. The song was first performed by Beatrice Lillie in a musical revue called The Third Little Show at the Music Box Theatre in New York, on June 1, 1931. In 1968, Coward visited Hong Kong and was allowed to fire the gun that he made famous with the lines, "In Hong Kong, they strike a gong, and fire off a Noonday Gun / To reprimand each inmate who's in late," going on to observe, "But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun!"

Related Tags

Naval History Time Ships Colonialism Sailors

Community Contributors

Added By

Jaszmina Szendrey

Edited By

RHyzer, Blindcolour, aribrown, sueecorrigan

  • RHyzer
  • Blindcolour
  • aribrown
  • sueecorrigan

Published

November 4, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.nextstophongkong.com/noon-day-gun/
  • http://gohongkong.about.com/od/whattoseeinhk/a/Noon_Day_Gun.htm
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noonday_Gun
Noonday Gun
281 Gloucester Road
Hong Kong
22.28256, 114.183755

Nearby Places

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant

Hong Kong

miles away

Kam's Roast Goose

Hong Kong

miles away

My Cup of Tea

Hong Kong

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Asia

Places 30
Stories 13

Nearby Places

Tai Ping Koon Restaurant

Hong Kong

miles away

Kam's Roast Goose

Hong Kong

miles away

My Cup of Tea

Hong Kong

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Asia

Places 30
Stories 13

Related Places

  • The Sacramento Cannon Memorial

    Gqeberha, South Africa

    The Sacramento Cannon Monument

    Artillery recovered from the sea floor marks the spot of an extraordinary shipwreck.

  • The house on Fiskergade 82, where Drakenberg lived.

    Aarhus, Denmark

    Christian Jacobsen Drakenberg's Last Home

    The final home of the legendary Danish sailor said to have lived to be 146 years old.

  • Houston Maritime Museum Exterior

    Houston, Texas

    Houston Maritime Museum

    This seaworthy collection was sparked by one man's passion for sailing.

  • The three castaways, depicted on the memorial at Fort Vancouver

    Vancouver, Washington

    Japanese Castaways Memorial

    A monument dedicated to three unlikely visitors to North America.

  • Hel, Poland

    Beached Wreck of the Warship Grom II

    The rusting hulk of a Soviet warship sits on a Polish beach.

  • Fall River, Massachusetts

    Battleship Cove

    The world's largest collection of historic U.S. military naval vessels.

  • Campeche, Mexico

    Fort of San José el Alto

    Half-hidden by grassy slopes, this striking Spanish colonial fort is now a museum of underwater archaeology.

  • Detail of the chain.

    Istanbul, Turkey

    Golden Horn Chain

    A section of the long chain that blocked enemy ships from entering Constantinople.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.