Clock Tower, Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
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 , it is usually referred to as the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower for its location.
Built out of red brick
s 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.
, 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
.
Landmark
This is a list of landmarks around the world.Landmarks may be split into two categories - natural phenomena and man-made features, like buildings, bridges, statues, public squares and so forth...
in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. It is located on the southern shore of Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui
Tsim Sha Tsui , often abbreviated as TST, is an urbanized area in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong. The area is administratively part of the Yau Tsim Mong District. Tsim Sha Tsui East is a piece of land reclaimed from the Hung Hom Bay now east of Tsim Sha Tsui...
, Kowloon
Kowloon
Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait in the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen and Stonecutter's Island in the west, Tate's Cairn and Lion Rock in the north, and Victoria Harbour in the south. It had a population of...
. It is the only remnant of the original site of the former Kowloon Station on the Kowloon-Canton Railway
Kowloon-Canton Railway
The Kowloon–Canton Railway refers to a railway network in Hong Kong which is now combined with the MTR railway system, comprising rapid transit services, a light rail system and feeder bus routes within Hong Kong, and intercity passenger and freight train services to the rest of China...
. Officially named Former Kowloon-Canton Railway Clock Tower , it is usually referred to as the Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower for its location.
Built out of red brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
s and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
, the Clock Tower peaks at 44 metres, and is topped by a 7-metre lightning rod
Lightning rod
A lightning rod or lightning conductor is a metal rod or conductor mounted on top of a building and electrically connected to the ground through a wire, to protect the building in the event of lightning...
. 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
Clock tower
A clock tower is a tower specifically built with one or more clock faces. Clock towers can be either freestanding or part of a church or municipal building such as a town hall. Some clock towers are not true clock towers having had their clock faces added to an already existing building...
is located near Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour situated between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on the South China Sea were instrumental in Hong Kong's establishment as a British colony and its subsequent...
at the foot of Salisbury Road. Another landmark, the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier
Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier
Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier is a pier located on reclaimed land at the southernmost tip of Tsim Sha Tsui on Kowloon Peninsula in Hong Kong. It is commonly known as Star Ferry Pier in Tsim Sha Tsui. Star Ferry operates the pedestrian ferry service across Victoria Harbour to Wan Chai and to Central on...
, is located nearby.
The tower has been listed as a declared monument
Declared monuments of Hong Kong
Declared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
in Hong Kong since 1990.
History
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 SettlementsStraits Settlements
The Straits Settlements were a group of British territories located in Southeast Asia.Originally established in 1826 as part of the territories controlled by the British East India Company, the Straits Settlements came under direct British control as a crown colony on 1 April 1867...
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
. 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
Japanese occupation of Hong Kong
The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong began after the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Mark Young, surrendered the territory of Hong Kong to Japan on 25 December 1941 after 18 days of fierce fighting by British and Canadian defenders against overwhelming Japanese Imperial forces. The occupation lasted...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
In 1975, Kowloon Station was moved to the present-day Hung Hom Station on the newly reclaimed Hung Hom Bay
Hung Hom Bay
Hung Hom Bay is a bay of Victoria Harbour, between Tsim Sha Tsui and Hung Hom in southern Kowloon, Hong Kong.Since 1850, the bay has been reclaimed many times: by 1996, it had nearly disappeared. All of present-day Tsim Sha Tsui East and Hung Hom Station of the MTR are on land reclaimed from the...
. 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 Space Museum
The Hong Kong Space Museum is a museum of astronomy and space science in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. It is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of the Hong Kong Government.-History:...
, Hong Kong Museum of Art
Hong Kong Museum of Art
The Hong Kong Museum of Art is the main art museum of Hong Kong. The museum was established as the City Hall Museum and Art Gallery in the City Hall in Central by the Urban Council in 1962. In 1991, it was moved to the present premises at 10 Salisbury Road, near the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and...
and Hong Kong Cultural Centre
Hong Kong Cultural Centre
The Hong Kong Cultural Centre is a multipurpose performance facility in the Tsim Sha Tsui area of Hong Kong. Located at Salisbury Road, it was founded by the former Urban Council and, after 2000, is administered by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department of Hong Kong Government...
, all built on former station grounds.
The bell inside the Clock Tower is currently in the railway depot in Ho Tung Lau
Ho Tung Lau
Ho Tung Lau is a place northeast of Lok Lo Ha in Sha Tin, near the MTR and on the former shore of Sha Tin Hoi, in the New Territories...
.