Chiming Again

The Clock Tower built in 1915 was part of the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Kowloon Terminus. Cast in the United Kingdom in 1919, the hour bell arrived in Hong Kong in the following year. Since the first peal was heard in March 1921, the Bell had been reporting time with its distinctive chime. The use of the Bell discontinued since 1950 because of the unsynchronised clocks and chime caused by the installation of four motors, one for each clock. Later in 1976, it was dismantled from the Clock Tower and displayed at the concourse of Hung Hom Station before moving to Sha Tin Station in 1984, and further moved to the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation (KCRC) House in Fo Tan in 1995. In 2010 when the then KCRC and the MTR Corporation Limited celebrated the centenary of railway services in Hong Kong, the Bell was donated to the Hong Kong Government, and finally returned to its home after three decades. The Bell and the Clock Tower together will remain a faithful witness to the changes and development of our city.

With the support from the manufacturer of the Bell, John Taylor & Co., academics and government departments, the series of celebratory events under “Centenary of the Bell” to present the history, architecture, culture and time reporting features of the Clock Tower have come to the end in 2021. We would like to express our gratitude to the expert advisers who have joined us on this precious journey, as well as the enthusiastic participation of citizens.

We wish the Clock Tower will accompany us for more centuries to come, and may the lasting chime rekindle fond memories of the past and create precious moments of the present.

Some photos on this website are provided by the Hong Kong Heritage Museum (donated by Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation), the Hong Kong Museum of History and the Public Records Office of the Government Records Service.