Causeway Bay is home to the famous Noon Day Gun immortalised in Noel Coward's
Poem two stanzas of which appear below. The tradition of firing the gun at noon
was thought to have begun after an incident involving the huge trading company
Jardines who used to have their warehouses nearby.  Jardines had their own military
unit and whenever the boss or tai-pan sailed into Hong Kong on one of their
many clippers, the cannon was fired in salute.  This so irked the British Naval officers
that they insisted from that day on the cannon what only to be used as a time 
signal and that it be fired each day at noon.



Excerpts from Mad Dogs and Englishmen by Noel Coward.

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.
The Japanese don't care to, the Chinese wouldn't dare to,
Hindus and Argentines sleep firmly from twelve to one,
But Englishmen detest a siesta,
In the Philippines there are lovely screens,
to protect you from the glare,
In the Malay states there are hats like plates,
which the Britishers won't wear,
At twelve noon the natives swoon, and
no further work is done -
But Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.

Mad Dogs and Englishmen, go out in the midday sun.
The smallest Malay rabbit deplores this stupid habit.
In Hong Kong, they strike a gong, and fire off a noonday gun.
To reprimand each inmate, who's in late.
In the mangrove swamps where the python romps
there is peace from twelve till two.
Even caribou s lie down and snooze, for there's nothing else to do.
In Bengal, to move at all, is seldom if ever done,
But mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.