View source for Tung Chung Fort

{{Use Hong Kong English|date=December 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}

{{Infobox historic site
| name = Tung Chung Fort
|native_name=東涌古城
|native_language=zh
|native_name2=東涌堡
|native_language2=zh
|native_name3=東涌炮台
|native_language3=zh
| image = Canons at Tung Chung Fort 03.jpg
| caption = Tung Chung Fort
| locmapin = Hong Kong
| location = [[Lantau Island]], [[Hong Kong]]
| area =
| built = Shun Hei era
| architect =
| architecture =
| governing_body =
| designation1 = HK Declared Monument
| designation1_offname =
| designation1_date = 24 August 1979
| designation1_number = 7
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
|t=東涌炮台
|s=东涌炮台
|j=Dung1 cung1 paau3 toi4
|y=Dūng chūng paau tòih
|p=Dōngchōng Pàotái
|t2=東涌所城
|s2=东涌所城
|j2=Dung1 cung1 so2 sing4
|y2=Dūng chūng só sìhng
|p2=Dōngchōng Suǒchéng
|t3=東涌寨城
|s3=东涌寨城
|j3=Dung1 cung1 zaai6 sing4
|y3=Dūng chūng jaaih sìhng
|p3=Dōngchōng Zhàichéng
}}
[[File:HK TungChungFort MainEntrance.JPG|thumb|250px|Entrance gate of Tung Chung Fort]]
[[File:HK TungChungFort TungChungRuralComittee Office and ExhibitionHall.JPG|thumb|250px|Tung Chung Rural Committee Office and exhibition hall within Tung Chung Fort]]
'''Tung Chung Fort''' is a fort located near [[Tung Chung]], on [[Lantau Island]], in Hong Kong. Close to [[Tung Chung Road]], the fort is surrounded by the villages of [[Sheung Ling Pei]] ({{lang-zh|t=上嶺皮|labels=no}}) and [[Ha Ling Pei]] ({{lang-zh|t=下嶺皮|labels=no}}). It has a companion [[Tung Chung Battery]] on the coast.

==History==
Tung Chung Fort was originally built in the Shun Hei era ({{lang-zh|t=淳熙|labels=no}}, 1174{{ndash}}1189) of the [[Southern Song dynasty]].  Smugglers on Lantau Island smuggled salt from the island to [[Guangzhou|Canton City]] and attacked the government of the city.  The government sent a navy led by King Leok Chin ({{lang-zh|t=經略錢|labels=no}}) to fight against the smugglers. Three hundred soldiers were stationed in Tung Chung and built the Tung Chung Fort. After three years of peace, the soldiers were called back and 150 of them were transferred to build [[Kowloon Walled City]], in which they later stayed.

During the Qing dynasty, many pirates, including the well known [[Cheung Po Tsai]], chose the bay of Tung Chung as their base and made use of the fort. The Qing Government recovered the fort after the surrender of Cheung Po Tsai. In 1832 (or 1817 alternatively) the fort was rebuilt and garrisoned by the Right Battalion of Tai Peng to defend the coast from pirates until the lease of [[New Territories]] to [[United Kingdom|Britain]] in 1898. The fort was then abandoned.

During [[World War II]], the [[Imperial Japanese Army]] occupied the fort.

Tung Chung Fort went through several transformations later. It served as a police station and then as [[Wa Ying College]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Antiquities and Monuments Office - Declared Monuments in Hong Kong - Outlying Islands (116) |url=https://www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-islands/monuments_07/index.html |access-date=2025-05-05 |website=www.amo.gov.hk}}</ref> In 2003 the Tung Chung Public Primary School (東涌公立學校), which was located in Tung Chung Fort, ceased operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amo.gov.hk/en/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-islands/monuments_07/index.html|title=Declared Monuments in Hong Kong - Outlying Islands|publisher=[[Antiquities and Monuments Office]]|access-date=2025-10-12}} - [https://www.amo.gov.hk/tc/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-islands/monuments_07/index.html Traditional Chinese version with the Chinese name], and [https://www.amo.gov.hk/sc/historic-buildings/monuments/outlying-islands/monuments_07/index.html Simplified Chinese]</ref> Now, it is the base for the [[Rural committee|Rural Committee]] Office.

In 1979, it was [[Declared monuments of Hong Kong|declared a monument]] and was refurbished in 1988.

==Features==
[[File:Tung Chung Fort, main gate, Tung Chung, Lantau Island (Hong Kong).jpg|thumb|250px|North gate]]
There are six still intact old muzzle-loading cannons, each resting on a cement base with enclosures made of granite blocks, which measure {{convert|70|by|80|m}}. Three arched gateways, each engraved with a Chinese inscription, are spaced along the walls.

==Transportation==
The fort can be reached from [[Mui Wo]] ([[Silvermine Bay]]) bus terminal by taking the no. 3 bus to the Tung Chung terminus and about a half mile walk from the bus stop in the direction of the fort. The fort can also be reached by taking the no. 13 or 14 bus and [[MTR]].  Permission is required to drive into the park.

==See also==
* [[Tung Chung Battery]]
* [[List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong]]
* [[List of forts]]

==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last1= Hayes|first1=James W. |author-link1=James W. Hayes |year= 1964|title=The Tung Chung Fort|journal= Journal of the [[Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch]]|volume=4 |pages= 146–154|publisher= |location= |doi= |url=https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/8dd870e6d7c2c49ad7c83cf73e2b0d77.pdf|issn= 1991-7295}}
* {{cite journal |last1= Siu|first1= Anthony K.K.|last2= |first2= |year= 1982|title=More About the Tung Chung Fort |journal= Journal of the [[Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch]]|volume= 23 |pages=305–307 |publisher= |location= |doi= |url=https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/bde19f9815878a2011bc0d142c14b283.pdf |issn=1991-7295}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Tung Chung Fort}}
* [http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Monument/en/monuments_07.php Tung Chung Fort]
* [http://www2.hkedcity.net/citizen_files/ab/aw/tc6628/public_html/new_page_6.htm Tung Chung Fort (in Chinese)]
{{Lantau Island}}
{{Islands District}}
{{coord|22.2779|113.9356|display=t}}

[[Category:Archaeological sites in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Declared monuments of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Tung Chung]]
[[Category:Forts in Hong Kong]]