Railway Relic

In Hong Kong, construction work is often an archaeological dig.

A two-metre-long cannon was uncovered in Yuen Long at one of the sites of the Kowloon-Canton Railway West Rail project.

The cannon is close to two centuries old. Judging by its location, it was used to defend an inland waterway that extends to Deep Bay and into the South China Sea. The British didn't occupy Hong Kong until 1841; it's not one of theirs.

Was it used to defend against pirates, or the colonial influence of the Portuguese in Macao?

Only a thorough examination will determine its origin.

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