For the past century, the Noonday Gun has sounded off at noon every day—first from its original location in East Point and later from its present spot in Causeway Bay. And no, it’s not just to help you keep the time.
It all comes goes back to the colonial days when Englishmen were snapping up property—especially one William Jardine, a venerable businessman who ran trading hongs, aka major business houses, back in the 1940s. His company, Jardine’s, became a major importer and exporter, and the company saluted the big bosses with a 21-gun salute every time they sailed into the harbor.
The practice got knocked back to just once a day, at noon, after a British naval officer supposedly took issue with the tradition. But it continues to this day, and you can even donate $33,000 to the
Community Chest if you want to fire the Noonday Gun yourself.
