Tung Chung Fort, Hong Kong East

Tung Chung Fort, Hong Kong

Tung Chung Fort was a former artillery battery in Hong Kong, located in Ha Ling Pik Tsuen, Tung Chung, Lantau Island, New Territories. It has now been designated as a declared monument of Hong Kong. During the Qing Dynasty, Tung Chung Fort was known as Tung Chung So Shing and served as the naval headquarters of the Dapeng Right Battalion. The granite plaque at the fort’s entrance bears the inscription “Year 12 of the Daoguang Reign” (1832), which is likely the year of its construction. After the New Territories were leased to Britain in 1898 and the Qing troops withdrew from the fort, it was first used as a police station, then as the campus of the China-British School, the Tung Chung Rural Committee, and the Tung Chung Public School.

The current site of Tung Chung Fort covers an area of 70 by 80 meters. Six cannons still remain, mounted on granite and cement bases, with casting dates of 1805, 1809, and 1843. The cannon barrels are inscribed with Chinese characters indicating their year of manufacture.

History

During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, in order to curb opium trade and pirate invasions, the Qing navy built a so shing (fortified settlement) in Tung Chung, completed in 1832 (some sources say 1817). It was equipped with six cannons to control maritime traffic. After the British leased the New Territories in 1898, the fort was abandoned. During the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the fort was rebuilt by the Japanese military. After the liberation of Hong Kong, the site was used as a police station and later became part of the Tung Chung Public School campus. On August 24, 1979, the site was declared a monument of Hong Kong and underwent comprehensive restoration in 1988. It now also serves as the office of the Tung Chung Rural Committee.

Transportation Guide

Address: Ha Ling Pik Tsuen, Tung Chung, Lantau Island, Islands District, Hong Kong

How to get there: Take New Lantao Bus routes 11, 23, 34, or 3M to the site.