“Bang!” – a loud gunshot echoes across Causeway Bay at 12:00pm sharp everyday, marking the Noonday Gun tradition. The Noonday Gun is quite a dramatic scene happening every day on the waterfront of Causeway Bay. While it may be a cultural custom that locals tend to forget, the unique history of the Noonday Gun is worth remembering.

During the early colonial days, Causeway Bay, also known as East Point, was owned by Jardine Matheson and used as a location for their opium trades. The business for sure made tons of money from selling the drugs to the Chinese so much so that a staff member was ordered to fire a 21-gun salute over Victoria Harbor from East Point to welcome the founder of Jardine upon his arrival. However, this action irritated a British naval officer as gun salutes were only meant for royals or military commanders. As punishment, the company was ordered to fire a gun at noon every day.  Little do we know now whether it was the main reason triggering such a long-lasting tradition – it did serve as a time signal for the people back in the day.

In addition to the daily noon firing, the Gun will also be fired at the last minute on New Year's Eve, known as “Jardine’s Midnight Gun”, every year. The gunshot is to welcome the new year and symbolize the end of the year. This is the countdown location for Westerners in Hong Kong to celebrate the Gregorian New Year on New Year's Eve.

If you're intrigued by the power of the Noonday Gun firing, head to the World Trade Centre in Causeway Bay and make your way to the Noonday Gun location via the tunnel in front of the Centre. For those brave enough, you can fire the salute yourself by donating HKD33,000 to the Community Chest, a charity that Jardine partners with.