Tung Chung Fort

Tung Chung Fort

Tung Chung Fort, also known as Tung Chung Fortress or Tung Chung Walled City, was a former artillery battery site in Hong Kong. Located in Ha Leung Pei Village, Tung Chung, Lantau Island, New Territories, it is now a declared monument of Hong Kong.

During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, to prevent opium trade and pirate aggression, the Qing navy elevated the nearby Dapeng Battalion to the Dapeng Brigade, which was divided into left and right battalions. The headquarters and left battalion were stationed at Dapeng Fortress in Shenzhen, while the right battalion was deployed at the newly built Tung Chung Fortress, completed in 1832. It was equipped with six cannons to control maritime traffic. Later, during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, the fort was rebuilt by the Japanese army. After several historical changes, the site was declared a declared monument of Hong Kong on August 24, 1979, and underwent comprehensive restoration in 1988.

The current site of Tung Chung Fort covers an area of 70 by 80 meters. The walls are built from granite and feature three arched gates: the “Gong Chen Gate” (North Main Gate), the “Jie Xiu Gate” (East Gate), and the “Lian Geng Gate” (West Gate). Six cannons still remain on the northern wall, four on the eastern side, and two on the western side, placed on either granite or cement bases. Some cannons were cast in 1805, 1809, and 1843, with Chinese characters inscribed on them indicating their manufacturing years. According to scholars, these six cannons are not the original ones from the fort but were relocated from other sites for decorative purposes.

Tung Chung Fort

Must-visit reason: One of the most important forts in Hong Kong’s history