04-08-2025
Historic British cannon unearthed in Tsim Sha Tsui construction site
A suspected bomb found in Tsim Sha Tsui last month turned out to be a British cannon barrel, not an explosive device.
The barrel was discovered on a construction site on Mody Road in East Tsim Sha Tsui at 12.10pm on July 8. It measured about four metres long and 15cm in diameter, and was buried three metres underground.
The discovery prompted police to temporarily board off the area and evacuate at least 40 workers. Explosive disposal experts were called in.
Professor Kwong Chi-man is a military historian at Baptist University. He identified the weapon as a coastal defence gun likely made in Britain in the late 19th century.
The exact arrival date of the cannon in Hong Kong remained unclear but had no connection to the second world war, he stressed. The cannon is now housed at a base on Mount Butler, where it was closely examined.
Cannons and bombs have been found in Hong Kong before. In September 2008, four cannons were found in Admiralty.
In October last year, police safely detonated a 227kg bomb discovered in waters near Shek Ngau Chau in Sai Kung. That bomb had been dropped by Japanese fighter jets during the second world war.
