Hidden beneath thick foliage for a century. That is how the Tung Chung Battery was rediscovered in 1980.
Hello everyone. We are standing at the Tung Chung Battery. It is a former artillery battery on Lantau Island. It is named after the district. The Tung Chung Battery was built in 1817. That was twenty-four years before the British took Hong Kong. Today, it is a declared monument.
The Tung Chung Battery construction finished in 1817. It was one kilometre north of Tung Chung Fort. Its job was to protect Tung Chung Bay. Pirates threatened the coasts of southern China then. China did not have a big navy. So, they built forts to defend the coast.
This coastal fort had two cannon emplacements. They guarded the bay. Seven guard houses were also here. The battery was put on a cliff. This gave great sea views. It was a good spot to see any naval attack.
The Guangdong Annals talk about its building. They said two forts were built. These forts stood at the base of “Rocky Lion Hill”. That is the translation of Shek She.
After being hidden for a century, it reappeared in 1980. Only an L-shaped wall was left. It had a corner platform. The Antiquities and Monuments Office thinks this held a gun. The government fixed up the Tung Chung Battery. It became a monument on November 11, 1983.
In November 1997, it was part of a historic sites tour. This was during the Year of Heritage. A Cantonese opera was performed at Tung Chung Fort. Now, the Tung Chung Battery faces Hong Kong Airport. It used to face Chek Lap Kok island and Tung Chung Bay. Development changed the view. The battery still stands as a testament to Hong Kong’s rich past. Its rediscovery reminds us of the stories hidden beneath the surface.