Tung Chung Battery 2.21

Tung Chung Battery is a former artillery battery located on Lantau Island in Hong Kong. Named after the eponymous district it is situated in, it was built in 1817, twenty-four years before the British took possession of Hong Kong. It was rediscovered in 1980 and is a declared monument of Hong Kong.HistoryConstruction of the Tung Chung Battery was completed in 1817. Located a kilometre north of the Tung Chung Fort, its purpose was to protect Tung Chung Bay from pirates that threatened the coasts and seas of southern China. At the time, China did not have a large navy, and thus, relied on the development of forts as an alternative way to defend its coast.The coastal fortification consisted of two coastal artillery cannon emplacements that guarded the Bay, along with seven guard houses. The site of the battery was chosen because it was located on a cliff that overlooked the water. This provided excellent views of the sea and a clear vantage point in case of a potential naval attack.The construction of the battery was recorded in the Guangdong Annals, which recounted how two forts were built at the base of the "Rocky Lion Hill"—the literal translation of Shek She.