Clock Tower, Hong Kong

Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower
前九廣鐵路鐘樓
General information
Type	Clock tower
Location	Hong Kong
Coordinates	22°17′37.24″N 114°10′09.71″E
Construction started	1913
Completed	1915
Height	44 m (144.4 ft) (roof)
Dimensions
Other dimensions	51 m (167.3 ft) (lightning rod)
Declared Monument of Hong Kong
Designated	1990
Reference no.	43

The Clock Tower is a landmark in Hong Kong. It is located on the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway. Officially named Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower (Chinese: 前九廣鐵路鐘樓), it is usually referred to as the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower (Chinese: 尖沙咀鐘樓) for its location.

Built out of red bricks and granite, the Clock Tower peaks at 44 metres, and is topped by a 7-metre lightning rod. The top of the tower can be reached by a wooden staircase located within. The interior of Clock Tower had previously been open for visit, but is currently closed for maintenance. The clock tower is located near Victoria Harbour at the foot of Salisbury Road. Another landmark, the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier, is located nearby.

The tower has been listed as a declared monument in Hong Kong since 1990.

History

Clock Tower
Traditional Chinese	尖沙咀鐘樓
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Jyutping zim1 saa1 zeoi2 zung1 lau4
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	前九廣鐵路鐘樓
Transcriptions Yue: Cantonese Jyutping cin4 gau2 gwong2 tit2 lou6 zung1 lau4

The plan of Kowloon-Canton Railway was realised in 1904 with its terminus in Tsim Sha Tsui. The terminus design was assigned to A. B. Hubback, due in part, to his experiences in designing Railway Terminus in the Straits Settlements, Malaya. The Kowloon-Canton Railway was inaugurated on 1 October 1910; however, construction of the station did not begin until 1913 mainly due to the advent of World War I, the materials required for the construction could not be shipped on time, and construction was halted for some time. The part of the station, together with Clock Tower, was completed in 1915, and the whole station 28 March 1916.

The Clock Tower reused the clock from the demolished Pedder Street Clock Tower. However, only one side had a clock, and it was not until 1920 that the remaining three sides of the Clock Tower were installed. They began operation in the afternoon of 22 March 1921, and have run ever since except during the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II.

In 1975, Kowloon Station was moved to the present-day Hung Hom Station on the newly reclaimed Hung Hom Bay. The building of the station was demolished in 1977 despite the protest and petitioning from the Heritage Society and other pressure groups. However, as a compromise it was decided that the Clock Tower was to be preserved, and is now accompanied by the Hong Kong Space Museum, Hong Kong Museum of Art and Hong Kong Cultural Centre, all built on former station grounds.

The bell inside the Clock Tower is currently in the railway depot in Ho Tung Lau.

Gallery

• 
  Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, 8 July 2005
• 
  Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, 18 June 2007
• 
  Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, 9 April 2007
• 
  Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower, Hong Kong Cultural Centre and the Peninsula Hotel, August 2004
• 
  Kowloon Station and the Clock Tower, 1914
• 
  Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) Tsim Sha Tsui (TST) Station in 1916
• Old times Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower
  Old times Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower
• 
  An ex-British Army steam locomotive delivered to Hong Kong at 1947 for KCR British Section. The Clock Tower is visible at the background.
• 
  The Clock Tower and its surrounding area nowadays

See also

• List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong

External links

• An introduction by Antiquities and Monuments Office
• A visual history of the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower